I had a phone interview with a recruiter that left a very negative impression. From the start, the recruiter was flippant, short, and seemed completely uninterested in learning about me or my background. There was no effort to create a conversation or build any connection—it felt transactional at best, dismissive at worst. In the end, she honestly did me a huge favor. If this is the tone being set at the very first touchpoint, it’s a red flag about what it might be like to work there. Despite the role offering a higher salary range, which I think is just a lure, I immediately walked away with zero interest in moving forward. Candidate experience matters, and this one spoke volumes.