HR asked me about all the companies I’m interviewing with. Was my response okay?
I received a call from an HR today from a reputed company with 10,000+ employees. The first few minutes of the conversation went pretty well. She asked about my experience, background, etc. Then she started asking me whether I had recently interviewed anywhere, how many companies I had applied to, whether I had any interviews lined up this week, and which companies I had applied to or interviewed with recently.
The last question is where I felt a bit uncomfortable. She specifically asked me to name the companies I had applied to or interviewed with recently. I responded something along the lines of, “I don't think that's relevant to the opportunity I'm being considered for.” She seemed somewhat offended by my response and said, “I'll get back to you once I discuss this with my team.” The call ended shortly after that.
Now I'm wondering, is it normal for HR/recruiters to ask these kinds of questions? I understand why they might want to know whether I'm actively interviewing elsewhere or how soon I might be looking to make a move. But asking me to disclose the names of other companies I'm applying to or interviewing with felt like a personal/confidential detail that I didn't really want to share.
My family thinks I shouldn't “fight” with HR and that I should have just answered politely. But I feel like I was reasonable and that I'm allowed to protect my privacy during a job search. What do you guys think? Was my response appropriate, or should I have handled it differently?