Fix: corporate proxy or browser-isolation blocking the interview
If your work laptop runs a security tool like Zscaler, Menlo, or Island, RecruitMe will refuse to start. Here's why, and what to use instead.
Key takeaways
- Corporate browser-isolation tools run the browser remotely. Your real mic and camera are not reachable from there.
- RecruitMe detects this and refuses to start rather than break halfway through.
- The fix is *not* to disable the security tool — that often violates company policy. Use a personal device instead.
- You don't need a powerful machine: even a phone is enough if you use it as a hotspot for a laptop.
Before you start
If your interview link landed on an error like Unsupported browser environment, Isolated browser detected, or Hardware unavailable, you are almost certainly running into a corporate browser-isolation or proxy tool. This article explains what those are and what to do.
What browser isolation actually does
Many companies protect employee laptops by routing all web browsing through a service that runs the browser somewhere else and streams the rendered pages back to your screen. Products in this category include:
- Zscaler Browser Isolation
- Menlo Security
- Island Browser
- McAfee SkyHigh Secure Web Gateway
- Cloudflare Browser Isolation
- Symantec Web Isolation
From your point of view it just looks like normal Chrome. From a website's point of view — particularly a website that needs your microphone, camera, or full screen — your hardware is not reachable. The browser running at https://your-interview is on a server in a data centre, not on your laptop.
Why we block instead of trying anyway
We could let you proceed and hope it works. In our experience, it never does — the screen-share step fails, the audio uploads do not work, or the AI interviewer hears nothing because the microphone is on your laptop and the browser is somewhere else. Letting you start an interview that breaks at the 5-minute mark is worse than blocking it upfront.
What to do
Three options, in order of how good they are:
Option 1: Use a personal device (best)
- Open Chrome or Edge on a personal laptop, desktop, or Chromebook.
- Make sure it is on a normal network (home Wi-Fi, café Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot). Avoid the corporate VPN.
- Forward your invitation email to yourself if it is on a work email account.
- Open the interview link from the personal device.
Option 2: Use your phone as a hotspot + borrow a laptop
If you have a friend's laptop available but only a corporate Wi-Fi network, turn on your phone's hotspot and connect the laptop to that instead. This bypasses any network-level corporate filtering.
Option 3: Ask the recruiter for a clean device
If you genuinely have no personal device available and you cannot borrow one, email the recruiter who invited you. Some hiring companies are willing to bring you into their office and let you use a clean machine. This is unusual but not unheard of, especially for senior roles.
IMPORTANT
We strongly advise against trying to bypass your employer's security tools. Even if you can technically disable an isolation tool, doing so usually violates company IT policy. A personal device is the safer path — both technically and professionally.
How to confirm you are in a browser-isolation setup
Quick checks you can run:
- Open https://browserleaks.com/whois — if the IP shown belongs to Zscaler, Menlo, Cloudflare, etc. rather than your own ISP, you are being isolated.
- Check your browser's address bar for a small badge that mentions Secure Web Gateway, Protected by Zscaler, Protected by Menlo, etc.
- Right-click anywhere on a webpage and pick Inspect. If the developer tools do not open or behave strangely, you may be in an isolated environment.
What about a VPN?
A plain VPN (NordVPN, Mullvad, etc.) usually does not cause this problem — those just route traffic and do not interfere with browser APIs. The problem is specifically with browser-isolation and secure web gateway products, which inspect and rewrite the web page before it reaches you. If you are unsure whether your tool is a plain VPN or a secure web gateway, disconnect from it temporarily and try the interview again.
Once you are on a personal device on a normal network, the interview link should work straight away. If it still does not, the cause is something else — check the other articles in this troubleshooting section.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just turn off the corporate security tool for an hour?
Almost always no. These tools are managed by your IT team and you typically cannot disable them. Even when you can, doing so may violate your employment agreement. We strongly recommend you do *not* try to work around your employer's security policy — use a personal device instead.
I am self-employed and I am the IT team. Can I just disable it?
In that case, yes — uninstall or pause the isolation tool, restart Chrome, and try the interview link again.
I am on a personal laptop but on the company VPN. Will it work?
Maybe. A VPN that only routes traffic (no browser interception) is usually fine. A VPN that also enforces a security policy on your browser (sometimes called *zero-trust* or *secure web gateway*) will likely still block you. The easiest test: disconnect from the VPN and try the interview. If it works, you know the VPN was the issue.
What if I do not have a personal device at all?
Borrow one for an hour. A friend or family member with a laptop is the easiest option. Cafés and libraries that offer computers also work. As a last resort, contact the recruiter — some companies let candidates do the interview from their office on a clean machine.