So I had an interveiw today for a project manager role at a mid-sized tech firm. Everything was going pretty smooth for the first 30 minutes, we talked about my experience and the software they use. Then the HR lady, lets call her Sarah, just drops this bomb: "So, do you have any kids or are you planning on starting a family in the next year or two?" I literally froze. I've read enough of these posts to know that's a huge no-no but hearing it in real life is just... weird. I tried to stay polite and told her that I'd rather focus on my skills and how I can help the company and that my personal plans dont really affect my performance.
She didnt like that answer at all. She gave me this look like I just insulted her mother and said "Well, we have a very specific 'family culture' here and we need to make sure everyone is on the same page. We've had people leave on maternity leave right when projects get busy and it really hurts the team." I was kind of pissed at this point so I just said "You do realize that asking that is legally questionable, right?" She just shrugged and said if I'm going to be "difficult" about company culture then I'm probably not a good fit anyway. The interveiw ended like 2 minutes later.
Honestly I feel like I dodged a massive bullet but I'm also just so angry. Like, do they really think they can just get away with that? I spent hours preparing for this and they just threw it away because I wouldnt promise not to have a life outside of work. Part of me wants to report them but idk if its even worth the headache. Has anyone else dealt with this "family culture" BS lately? It feels like a code word for "we want to own your soul 24/7."