Borderline illegal, and outright silly.
I was contacted by the hiring team through Linkedin and sent a JD. We set up a call and everything went well in that regards.
At this point I was thinking that this would be an introductory/exploratory call where we look for a fit.
On the call, the HR person outlined the call, which was basically an interview. The outline is as follows:
HR will as basic questions
HR will assess my suitability for the role
I will be allowed to ask questions
Salary.
Went ahead with that, again thinking that I will learn more about the role.
Here comes the first shock. The second question I was asked was: "What nationalities do you hold?" I am a naturalised citizen, and I guess you can tell, but I have never been asked that question. The industry standard is "Do you have a legal right to work in the UK?" Or "Will you at any point require a visa sponsorship?".
To make it clear, the person asked for nationalities, in plural.
Then, as if nothing happens, I get asked "Why do you want to work for us?". At this point I haven't heard anything about the role beyond the JD, I was simply approached to on Linkedin, and all of a sudden it hit me - I am now in an interview through a silly power dynamic.
Noted that it was an awkward question, answered and moved on.
The next and final question was giving examples about a time I worked innovatively.
At this point I stopped the interview. I told the recruited that I know nothing about the role or salary, I was brought in to an introductory call and instead I am being interviewed.
Probably the worst recruitment process I've encountered.