For a large HR/Human Capital Management company, they have one of the worst interview and candidate experiences I have ever encountered. It is very GUSTO-centric, disconnected from the people applying for positions. The initial recruiter is nice, yet very green and the managers appear to use her as their own personal assistant, rather than interacting with people who are excited to meet with who may be their managers. The first recruiter scheduled not one but two calls with me for very basic questions. This is a huge waste of a candidate's time, as they are working and interviewing elsewhere. She could've easily saved both of us time and met with me once. The recruiter tells you that you will be in touch with someone else who is a coordinator to schedule the interviews with the hiring managers. Why does this exist? My third step in and the first recruiter can't look at a calendar and schedule an interview? (Gusto, please remove this step, it makes your company and hiring process look and feel ridiculous). Third interview is a phone call with hiring manager. Fourth and fifth were video calls. They don't ask for your schedule or availability. All you get is a time slot for the tiny window of when that manager can squeeze you into their schedule. Please provide a few options for the candidate and/or ask them to do the same. It is a common professional courtesy. Interviews are very rushed. Also, surprisingly for a large player in the payroll/HR/HCM space - the managers don't follow along with asking the same questions for each candidate for each role. This can set the company up for pre-employment litigation and Gusto should train their managers on how to interview and maintaining compliance. I asked the recruiter how many steps were in the process. She said you will meet with potential manager twice, their manager once and have four other 'assessments' and then, meet with your manager again. What is an assessment? A test? No, it means interview. GUSTO wants you to interview 10 TIMES. This company is so out of touch with the fact that people are working and interviewing elsewhere. Their process drags on and it has too many steps. I had already decided that I did not want to work for this company and would not want my team to go through this awful candidate experience as a hiring manager. Like many of us, I kept interviewing and you should too. Other companies know how to run a tight and professional interview process. I had several other interviews because this is a candidate's market. Know your worth and your value and don't go through this mess of a process. If we were not in a mostly virtual world, would you take off time from work 10x from your current job and drive to a company, wasting a half day 10x? No, you wouldn't. For Gusto: - Recruiting Managers: Revamp your department and the intake process. Empower your team to hold one initial phone screen. Remove the coordinator piece. - Be aware of how you are treating people. They will remember. This initial introduction speaks to your culture. The first interaction with a candidate is your BRAND. Build it as a positive experience, not an afterthought or herding people through. Candidates have options. You're not the only one hiring. - Train managers on how to interview and role play with them. Seriously. I mean it. - Take an overall look at the candidate's experience. Also, allow them to send their availability for a meeting rather than just giving them a single interview option. - Your company is an industry leader. Tighten your interview process and set an example for your customers. While I was initially interested in this company, their process was dismal. I had decided they weren’t for me and proceeded with other organizations that treat humans like humans, professionals like professionals.