Process Duration: 3 Months
Role: Sales Manager
Pros
The interview stages themselves (Senior Management, Presentation, VP of Sales) were standard and relevant to the role.
Cons
Severe Inconsistency: The internal recruiter headhunted me and stressed that the role was critical and needed filling "yesterday," yet the actual process was dragged out over three months.
Lack of Proactivity: I had to consistently chase the internal recruiters to book every single stage of the process, completely contradicting the stated urgency.
Poor Handoff: The process was passed from an internal recruiter based in India to a UK-based "senior talent manager" who only acted as a scheduler and never initiated direct contact.
Complete ghosting: After the final 4th stage interview, I was promised feedback by the end of that week. Two weeks passed with no communication. Subsequent follow-up emails to both the management and the recruiter were completely ignored.
Lack of Respect: The company demonstrated a complete lack of professional courtesy and respect for my time, wasting three months of dedicated effort (including a detailed presentation) by ghosting me after the final stage.
Advice to Management
If you require a candidate to invest 3+ months and four stages (including a presentation) into your hiring process, you must commit to providing a timely, professional decision, regardless of the outcome. Improve internal coordination to ensure the recruiting team's actions align with the business's stated urgency. Basic professional courtesy demands communication, not ghosting.