Initially, the process was what any candidate in this market could ask for. I applied on Friday, August 1, and was invited to a phone screen the following Monday (August 4). The phone screen took place Thursday (August 7), and that same day I was invited to complete an unpaid, two-hour written assessment. I received the assessment on Friday (August 8) and submitted it the same day. The following Monday (August 11), I was invited to a final panel interview which took place on Wednesday (August 13) with seven (!) panelists. Up to this point, communication was excellent: clear, responsive, and timely. I was told in the final interview they would update candidates by Monday, August 18. After that, communication dropped off significantly. I followed up August 20, and was told me a decision would be made by August 25 instead. That date passed without word. I followed up the following day (August 26) to flag a competing offer. On August 28, they asked for my references out of the blue. They recognized the urgency given my competing offer and the communication strongly suggested an offer was coming. They contacted my references that same day, then said they would follow up with “next steps” the following day (August 29). Instead, I received a rejection almost a week later on September 4, with a generic note that I was “not an ideal fit for the position and current needs" and no specific feedback. This feedback felt insincere given just how much I had engaged with the team throughout a very thorough process. Pros: - Fast and professional communication during the early stages Cons: - Communication deteriorated significantly after the final interview - Unreliable timelines for decisions with no proactive updates - References contacted before a final decision was made, wasting their time - Rejection language was generic and misaligned