I was called in for an interview for a senior engineering position with a requirement of 10-15 years experience. While I was kept waiting, I noticed that the Arcadis Richmond Hill office is in a state of disrepair. Peeling wallpaper, worn and rumpled carpets, no reception, and the lack of an Arcadis sign on the outside of the building (just a dirty shadow of the former SENES sign) all point to a lack of reinvestment in this office, although it has been 3 years since Arcadis acquired SENES. Within 10 minutes of the start of the interview, the hiring manager stated the "sink or swim" nature of the work culture at Arcadis, and that the successful candidate would need to bring in their own work within 3 months or face potential termination. The hiring manager asked whether or not I have a family and stated a salary band for this position about 20-30% below market value. When I indicated that this salary would not be adequate, I was asked what my "bottom line" is. What I experienced was not an interview but an exercise in bottom fishing.

I spoke initially with local ARCADIS management, then regional management. The interview process was straight forward.