I went through various stages in the recruitment process in Belgium and was promised twice by the hiring director that I got the job whilst the general manager said that he wasn't in a hurry to fill the position. Despite having provided referees they were never consulted and after my final interview with the GM mid-November where I was promised to get an answer by end of November, I never heard back. As HR professional I do not expect to be treated like that and ghosting and manipulative power games is bad for employer branding!