I recently went through the most unprofessional and drawn-out hiring process of my career for a Senior Product Manager position at PandaDoc. It spanned an excruciatingly long several months, leaving me with the distinct impression that the team involved was more concerned with filling their time than efficiently finding the right candidate.
The process involved a ridiculous number of stages, many of which felt completely unnecessary and redundant, with interviewers often rehashing the same ground covered in previous rounds. It felt like a deliberate attempt to create busywork.
The take-home assignment was particularly egregious. It essentially demanded a fully fleshed-out product strategy—the kind of work one would expect to be compensated for, not given away freely as part of an interview process.
Communication was abysmal. The recruiter consistently failed to deliver on promised feedback and follow-up deadlines. I was repeatedly left hanging, having to chase them for updates. This lack of basic professional courtesy was truly shocking.
Overall, the entire experience left a deeply negative impression. The sheer inefficiency, coupled with the disrespectful treatment of candidates' time and effort, reflects poorly on PandaDoc's hiring practices. I would strongly caution any experienced product professionals against wasting their time applying for roles at this company. There are plenty of other organizations that value their candidates and conduct themselves with a modicum of professionalism.