BenchSci interview questions

Everyone I interacted with was very polite. I went through the initial screening interview and an interview with the hiring manager. The interviews felt natural, and they sent me quick replies and updates throughout the process.

I interviewed for a UK based role. The HR screening was standard, followed by a technical call. During the technical interview, I encountered several red flags. The interviewer began by downplaying aspects of the role and referencing “vibe coding,” suggesting it’s something “we’re all doing". He clearly wanted to give me that false sense of security, he made the call highly conversational, and was agreeing with everything I said and even sometimes restating points back to me to confirm them. At the end of the interview, he explicitly stated that he would recommend me for the next stage and went into detail about what I would face next and how to prepare. He even jokingly said to me that I have the freedom to accept or refuse the offer. And Guess what, I received a generic rejection email few days later. After asking for feedback, I was told they were “looking for someone further into their career,” which directly contradicted the positive signals given during both HR and technical discussions. The lack of transparency and the "mind games" played during the Technical interview reflects a lot about how the company is run and why it's so low rated by it's employees. It felt less like a merit-based evaluation and more like a performative exercise.