A candidate walked into an interview at a company offering the largest salary they had ever dreamed of. The room was all ex-Microsoft, ex-Director — the kind of people you brace yourself for. The first thing they heard was: 'We don't use HR for recruitment here.'
The candidate fell to their knees and wept tears of joy. No recruiter gatekeeper, no phone screen with someone reading from a script, no 'what's your greatest weakness.' Just people who wanted to talk to the actual person they might hire. Sometimes the bar is that low, and clearing it feels like winning.