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I am looking for work and responded to a job posting for a fully remote position. The description was a bit on the vague side. The company is new but having done a Google search there was a couple positive reviews and no mention of any scams. So far I've done a soft skills interview, technical interview, a test, and a short training class. All of this has been done from home. I was then asked to join a slack channel that has about 1000 other people. Now another company reached out to me asking me to do a technical interview with them. They said they found me through the first company, which I'm beginning to think is more of a recruiting agency or staffing firm or something like that.

I feel like I've just been answering interview questions and have been given next to no information even when I ask for it. For example I don't know what the job would be doing. I asked for details in the interview and was told if I make it to the next round they would have more information. I sent an email asking for a job description for the next interview but got no reply. Also there's been almost no talk about pay or work hours.

What are some questions I could ask, either by email or in the next interview, to learn what type of work I would be doing and how the work is structured? I've experiences where recruiters working for recruiting firms try to hide that they are recruiters (for example they would say they are a contractors looking to hire subcontractors). What are some questions I can ask to find out if I would be working for and getting paid directly by one company, or if the arrangement is somehow different? What does it mean if I don't get an answer, that this is some sort of scam?

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    I don't understand what sort of answer you're looking for here... Why would you need us to tell you how to ask them what the job is they're interviewing you for? Frankly why are you giving them so much of your time without knowing what you're interviewing for?
    – ColleenV
    Commented Feb 5 at 21:27
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    @ColleenV OP is looking for answers and observations just like the one you did. OP is struggling to find a way to phrase questions and is asking us for ideas. Telling OP that they shouldn't be giving so much of their time to something that they don't know what they are interviewing with is a valid suggestion
    – DarkCygnus ♦
    Commented Feb 5 at 21:47
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    @DarkCygnus That isn't even close to being able to be answered objectively with the information we have. I realize that TWP does like to give helpful suggestions that go way more into the subjective than most SE sites, but I would like to know why the author thinks we have magical phrasing suggestions that will get them an answer when the questions they've asked haven't.
    – ColleenV
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:14
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    @ColleenV I think that OP needed a "reality check" mostly, in the sense of "you may be wasting your time here" or "keep applying elsewhere" or "you already asked, got no answer, time to move on", etc... a StackOverflow analogy (?) would be "don't foo the bar".
    – DarkCygnus ♦
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:19
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    The first company definitely sounds like a recruiting/staffing company more than anything else. These really irk me because you either end up in a pool with thousands of other "applicants", but there's not really a job there - it's more of a passive way to find a role once you've done all their interviews. I never gotten a job through these systems but that's not to say you won't either.
    – Harrison
    Commented Feb 6 at 9:20

2 Answers 2

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I feel like I've just been answering interview questions and have been given next to no information even when I ask for it. For example I don't know what the job would be doing. I asked for details in the interview and was told if I make it to the next round they would have more information.

You got your answer there. They will give you details if/when you make it to the next round.

Now, you have to decide if this fact is something you are willing to accept or if this is a deal breaker and you should stop pursuing this offer.

If you decide to go on, then you can/should prepare all the questions you have and want clarified, perhaps even write them down, and ask them the next time you get a chance.

I sent an email asking for a job description for the next interview but got no reply.

They already told you that such information will be given when/if you make it to the next round, thus getting no reply on such email is no surprise to me.

What are some questions I could ask, either by email or in the next interview, to learn what type of work I would be doing and how the work is structured?

In your post I see some ideas already:

  • What sort of technologies are used in this role?
  • What are the usual work hours for this role? Is this flexible?
  • Will I be working directly with X or will it be indirect or subcontracted?
  • What is the salary offer for the job?

What does it mean if I don't get an answer, that this is some sort of scam?

If you don't get an answer or keep getting vague answers even after "making it to the next round" then that would start to trigger red flag alerts on my mind, and I would start to wonder if this is worth my time or not.

Final Advice: Whatever you decide, it will be best for your interests to keep your options open and apply/pursue other job offers of your liking elsewhere in case this job doesn't materialize.

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    An undefined remote position? I'd search elsewhere until/unless they contact you with more information. This sounds like you're wasting your time.
    – keshlam
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:00
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    Good suggestion @keshlam OP should keep their options open and look elsewhere in the meantime. Adding that useful observation to my answer
    – DarkCygnus ♦
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:12
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    @sculptorwolf I suggest you do this (super summary of my answer): keep applying elsewhere, don't go all in on this offer. When/if you make it to next round, then ask all the questions you have. If they are not answered, then as I said that would start to trigger red flags in my mind, and at that point I'd start to think this is a waste of my time... perhaps not "forget about them" but surely give them a lower priority
    – DarkCygnus ♦
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:20
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    This is starting to sound awfully like "how desperate are you for a job, and how little can we get away with paying you for an unpleasant assignment". There are sometimes legitimate confidentiality issues, but in those cases I wouldn't even consider hiring a remote worker I didn't already know.
    – keshlam
    Commented Feb 5 at 22:24
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It sounds as if this is a staffing firm that is looking to expand their pool of people they can call on as and when they have actual positions to fill. They can't tell you about the job because they don't have an actual job in mind for you yet.

And, ya know, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it's certainly something you can reasonably ask them about.

The problem, though, is when you get into a situation where multiple staffing firms have submitted you for the same position; the easiest solution for the actual hiring/contracting manager is to disqualify you rather than worry about owing double commissions or conflicts of interest.

Of course, this could also be one of a zillion semi-scams where you go through multiple hoops trying to get a technical job and are eventually offered commission-only sales.

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