Hiring a junior designer with an under-market salary and wanting this person to be qualified to be / function at the level of a director in the "very near future" as expansion happens while also barely asking any questions pertaining to this. The interviewers were very personable so it was especially disappointing to be made to feel like I was a strong candidate, spend time on an interview project, turn it in early, be told 2x I'll receive feedback, then just receiving a no from HR.
I had pause when I was told the salary in the first place but still wanted to discuss, but when I was told about how they want someone who is able to function at the level of a director for a junior design role when they also currently have a senior designer on staff? Not interested in working with them in the future due to this experience. Even just a bit more communication at the end of this process would have gone a long way but I'd be hesitant to accept a role here because that was such a strange hiring practice.