My experience with this company's interview process was extremely time-consuming and ultimately disappointing. The initial expectations for an already lengthy interview--consisting of multiple rounds and a take-home assignment--doubled, spanning over four months. There were significant discrepancies between the position and compensation discussed during the interviews and the final offer.
The recruiter, Connor, initially reached out to me on LinkedIn. I expressed my interest in a more senior role with higher compensation. The recruiter indicated flexibility, which could be assessed during the initial interview stages. However, I was taken aback by the extensive number of interview rounds and the lengthy process.
[PART 1] There were about 15 stages in the interview process! Originally, there were 8 consisting of a screen, interviews with the hiring manager, exec, and XFN partners, a takehome, and some others. This spanned 2 months. Then the hiring manager reached out to me directly to interview me again and asked for my references. I assumed I had the job, but a few weeks later, the recruiter reached out and said I was cut because they needed someone with experience with X. I explained I have experience in this area, but never mentioned it because it was not in the JD and no one asked me about it. I suggested they could ask me, which seemed to be a mind-blowing idea based on his reaction.
[PART 2] The next couple of rounds consisted of another takehome (!!) ), more interviews with execs, and the hiring manager (I met up with her at least 5 times throughout this process). Originally, they said it'll just be 2 more rounds, but that wasn't the case. But I was then given a verbal offer and they asked for references again. About a week later, the recruiter said that was a false alarm and that I would need to do just one more.
[PART 3] I interviewed with someone who *may* be working there. They informed me that "this interview is very confidential as [name] has not even put in her notice yet." This person wore their Qualtrics company sweatshirt in the interview, so they obviously didn't care or wanted to be reckless. This company was making this woman work before she was even hired! Is that legal? Finally, after 4 months, I received another verbal offer. However, it did not align with our previous discussions. The title and salary were below what was promised. And I guess equity was technically offered. The recruiter kept emphasizing it's going to 2X or 4X, but even then it's still subpar. A lower title and far less comp didn't make sense. I reiterated what we aligned on at multiple points in the 4 months and gave a counter. Moments later, I was told, "the offer [is] off the table." I felt the company was unprofessional in handling the negotiations, especially with fumbling this long drawn-out interview where I was kept being told it would just be "one or two more interviews".
The whole experience left me with a negative impression of the company and its treatment of candidates. In retrospect, I should have withdrawn my candidacy earlier, but I held onto the promise of a job offer after investing so much time and effort. I learned a lot about the company's operations and capabilities during these four months, which led me to question their commitment to candidates and their quality of service, especially in the context of career coaching. How good is their product if they treat others like this? And looking through the reviews here, I'm clearly not the only one and this issue has gotten worse over the years..
Additionally, the company's request for my references twice was unorganized and created awkward situations for me. I also believe I should be compensated for the extensive work on the take-home assignments, which I felt provided significant value to the company.
There were a lot of red flags like the HM saying "I don't know this area very well but I'm trying to listen to some podcasts", a director telling me at the start of the interview he just woke up from a nap so "don't mind [his] yawning," and seeing their data (or lack thereof) and how they operate.
Finally, I would caution POCs from considering this company. Not only due to the lack of diversity in leadership. I observed patterns during the interview process, which highlighted potential DEI issues within the organization. When I pressed some for more details, some people's messages started to change. Reading between the lines, I found that there's frustration and a lack of growth potential from POCs. Overall, my experience with this company's interview process was disappointing and raised concerns about their professionalism and commitment to candidates. However, I am very glad with the outcome -- I dodged a bullet!