I progressed through multiple stages of the interview process for a senior leadership role.
The process began with an extensive written submission that required detailed, narrative responses to nearly every bullet in the job description. This step was very time-intensive and required thoughtful, customized examples across finance, operations, people management, and strategy.
After that, I was asked to complete a personality and character assessment. This included a mix of traditional questions and more abstract prompts (for example, hypothetical preference questions such as choosing between unrelated activities). While I understand the intent to assess working style, the connection between some questions and job-relevant competencies was not always clear.
I then participated in a Q&A conversation with a recruiter, followed by a substantive interview with the CEO. That conversation was engaging and thoughtful, and I was told I would hear back that DAY about next steps. Then it turned into early the NEXT week (after emailing) and they told me I was in finalist consideration asked me to be transparent if anything changed with timing.
Almost TWO WEEKS LATER, when I later emailed that I had received another offer, there was no acknowledgment or response. During this same period, the role was reposted publicly without any communication.
The length and depth of the process expected for candidates combined with the lack of follow-up or closure was disappointing, particularly for a senior-level role.
RED FLAGS for both the recruiting company AND TCS.