Four rounds, a 5-day assignment, and a process that had a fundamental misalignment baked into it from the start. In round one I was clearly told pitching is not part of this role. The Dubai team handles pitches and hands the client over. In round two, a comment was made questioning whether someone who has not been in an agency for 8 years can fit back in. That concern was valid. Raising it and then moving forward with a 5-day assignment was not a fair use of anyone's time. The assignment had a specific brief with defined slides and sections. I followed it, and submitted a detailed written document alongside the PPT covering the full content strategy, keyword mapping, paid media, and 3-year projections. In the final 4-person panel I was told the content strategy was missing. It was in the document. I was also told I should have challenged the brief like someone pitching a client. I was explicitly told in round one that pitching is not the job. You cannot evaluate a candidate on something you told them upfront was not required. Cons: No internal alignment on what the role actually requires. Senior candidates carrying that misalignment all the way to the final round is a waste for everyone. Advice to Management: Align your hiring team on the role before the process starts. If a candidate's background is a concern, address it early, not after a week of their time has been spent.