I applied online. I interviewed at Validata Group (Athens, Athens, Attica) in Jun 2023
Interview
To begin with, after my first interview on June 13th, I was given the task of completing two projects within an astonishingly short timeframe: a Flask app and a complex machine learning task involving algorithms related to loan approval in the banking sector. Despite being a full-time professional, I dedicated my time and energy to these projects, working tirelessly around the clock to meet their unreasonable 3-day deadline. The company was fully aware of my existing commitments, yet they seemed to disregard this completely. Juggling a full-time job and the pressure to deliver quality work within such a limited period was undeniably challenging. Nevertheless, I managed to complete both projects, often sacrificing sleep and personal time to ensure their completion within the tight timeframe. My immense efforts yielded no response from Validata Group. Despite their promises and expectations, there was no feedback provided on my projects, leaving me in a state of uncertainty and confusion. This lack of communication and respect for my dedication and hard work is a clear indication of the company's disregard for the candidates who invest their time and energy into their interview process. It's disappointing to encounter a company that claims to value its applicants while displaying such disregard for their efforts and time. The interview process should be a two-way street, where both parties assess each other's compatibility and professionalism. Unfortunately, in this case, it felt like a one-sided experience, leaving me questioning the company's true intentions and work ethics. However, my dismay grew exponentially when I discovered that some other candidates were granted significantly more time to complete the same tasks. Learning that not all candidates were subjected to the same constraints feels inherently unfair and counter to the principles of a just and equal evaluation process. As a professional who values transparency and integrity, I find this unequal treatment disheartening. An interview process should provide all candidates with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and commitment. The unequal distribution of project completion timeframes not only undermines the integrity of the process but also raises concerns about the company's commitment to fair evaluation. A terrible experience overall. Be aware!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
To begin, I was asked a series of questions that focused heavily on my personal information, including my age. While I understand the importance of gathering relevant information, these questions felt intrusive and unrelated to my qualifications for the role. I was informed that the next step involved completing two projects with extremely short deadline provided for these projects – just three days. I was informed that other candidates had more days to complete the tasks. This is total unfair!
Task consisted of 2 challenges, a flask app and machine learning algorithms related to loan approval in banking sector data. I had about 1 week to deliver them, delivered on time and included more features than required trying to show my tech stack and skills but they didn’t provide any feedback yet, neither an email related to rejection reasons and staff..