I was in the interview process for almost 2.5 months. Everything seemed to be going well until the final stage, which was a panel of 18 people (including an intern!). Despite the stress and the sheer number of decision-makers, I delivered a strong performance and even received an ovation at the end. Afterward, the talent management contact walked me out, praised my performance, and even asked me to review the benefits package—making it feel like an imminent offer—only to disappear for over a week. When I finally heard back, it was a brief note saying I wasn’t a good fit. The combination of an oversized decision-making panel, inconsistent messaging, and poor communication made this process unnecessarily frustrating. It’s a disservice to senior candidates and reflects a disorganized hiring approach. I personally believe all of this started at the top with the CEO.