Good conversation with senior colleagues, during which I was asked to talk through my experience in key areas including sectors, methods and talk through my experience in and approach to business development
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Can you tell me about a typical project and the role you played on it
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 8 weeks. I interviewed at IFF Research (London, England) in Aug 2025
Interview
Multiple choice questions, online video interview, 5 questions, one of them was to copy what someone is saying and write it down, others are multiple choice etc. Also, you have to record yourself answering questions, you can re try once and that's it.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me a time you provided exceptional customer service?
The interview process was disorganised and poorly managed, standing in stark contrast to the company’s “human-first” value which is listed first on their website. I was told the process needed to move quickly, with the successful candidate expected to start within a fortnight, so I made every effort to accommodate this urgency and attended both interviews at their convenience, as well as completing assessments. They were aware that I was juggling this with childcare. Despite that flexibility, communication then ceased entirely with repeated chaser emails from the recruiter going unanswered. When feedback finally arrived, it was abrupt, unconstructive, and noticeably lacking in balance, which was particularly disappointing given that the first interview had gone well enough to progress me further.
The experience reflected a significant disconnect between the company’s marketed ideals and its actual behaviour. The leadership style, in particular, felt rigid and deeply institutional, more reminiscent of an outdated, top-down culture than the progressive, people-centred environment they claim to champion.
Despite claiming to be “human-first,” I wasn’t asked to complete an equal opportunities form, nor were any accessibility measures mentioned or put in place. I was interviewed by the CEO, who opened the conversation by admitting he was “no good at interview questions.” I tried to make light of this to avoid starting on an awkward note, but it unfortunately set the tone for a disjointed and unstructured discussion. The lack of thoughtful questioning or genuine engagement made it difficult to have a meaningful exchange, and it reflected a level of complacency that felt entirely at odds with the company’s professed commitment to people-centred values.
IFF Research response
7mo
Thanks for your feedback.
We’re really sorry to hear that the experience did not live up to your expectation, or to our value of being human first.
Part of being human is realising that we don’t always get everything right every time. But we do try to take the opportunity to learn from each experience and make things better the next time. This is why we reached out to hear more about your experience, but we fully appreciate that you didn’t want to discuss this any further.
Wishing you all the best with your job search, and we hope you find a suitable role and organisation soon.
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