I recently had an interview experience with SEMrush that left me concerned about professionalism and potential bias in their recruiting process. A recruiter reached out on LinkedIn to schedule a call regarding a sales opportunity. We confirmed a time, and after one reschedule (which I accommodated), the recruiter cancelled the meeting just 26 minutes before our scheduled conversation. The reason given was that the role required prior experience selling into the LATAM market — something that apparently had not been fully reviewed before outreach. What concerns me most is that I was only evaluated for the LATAM-focused role, despite the company publicly hiring across multiple regions at the time. I have experience selling into several other markets that align with their open roles. It raises the question of why I was only considered for LATAM in the first place. Given my Hispanic last name, I can’t help but question whether assumptions were made about my background or market experience. While I cannot definitively say that bias occurred, the optics and the limited scope in which I was considered made the experience feel dismissive and potentially discriminatory. Additionally, cancelling an already rescheduled interview less than half an hour before the call demonstrated a lack of respect for a candidate’s time. Recruiting is often the first impression candidates have of a company. Unfortunately, this experience reflected poor communication, insufficient vetting prior to outreach, and a process that did not feel equitable. I hope SEMrush reviews its recruitment practices to ensure candidates are evaluated holistically and without assumptions.

Brad (recruiter), and all directors and managers I spoke to were as supportive as I could possibly ask them to be. Top notch communication skills across the board. 15 days from first interview to offer, also! Thanks!