This interview process was unprofessional, excessive, and disrespectful of senior candidates’ time. Over several weeks, I completed four interviews with six different people. Additional interviews were added as the process went on rather than being disclosed upfront. Communication was poor, timelines were unclear, and I repeatedly had to follow up on my own just to receive basic updates.
The interview content itself was also poorly managed. Many of the questions were repetitive across interviews and reflected a lack of preparation or shared understanding of the role. Several lines of questioning were poorly informed, requiring me to repeatedly explain foundational and advanced concepts that should have been understood at this level of hiring. This made the process feel inefficient and unnecessarily burdensome.
Throughout the process, I was consistently told the team was impressed with my experience and depth of knowledge. I also provided multiple professional references, some of whom later confirmed they gave strong, positive feedback. Despite this, after weeks of interviews and reference checks, I received a vague rejection stating that another candidate was a closer fit.
When I asked for feedback, I was again told I interviewed very well and demonstrated strong expertise. Immediately after that, I was asked to interview again for a significantly more junior role requiring only 2 to 5 years of experience and offering compensation far below the range I had already communicated. This was not an offer. Being asked to start another interview process after four completed interviews, especially for a role far below my level of experience, was inappropriate and insulting.
As a Black woman with over a decade of experience, it is impossible to ignore the pattern here. Being heavily vetted, repeatedly praised, required to educate interviewers during the process, and then down-leveled to a junior role raises serious concerns about how expertise, authority, and seniority are evaluated. The process suggested discomfort with experience rather than a genuine attempt to assess it.
This experience reflected poor leadership alignment, weak decision-making, and a fundamental lack of respect for candidates. It was a waste of time and serves as a warning to senior and underrepresented candidates considering interviewing here.