I applied for an Account Management position and had a promising first conversation with their talent lead. He expressed interest, stated that he would follow up on compensation details, and outlined the next steps. Instead, there was silence, no reply to my thank-you email, no closure on the salary discussion - and finally a template rejection. It felt like a bait-and-switch: early enthusiasm, then a complete retreat once depper discussions were needed. What is most disappointing is that Akura8 presents itself as a DEI-focused, transparent, human-first company, while boasting an equity score that is above industry standard. But in my experience, it is just a smoke screen, and exactly the opposite - a recruitment process run by hedging, silence and avoidance, which is the inner reflection of a company and its culture. At its base is conformity and the need to mould its candidate into its fit, so if you are an original thinker, out of box systems builder, this place is not for you. It is not what you would expect from a company that claims to be ethical, inclusive and progressive. This seems to be a pattern, not a one-off - as I saw multiple Glassdoor reviews describing similar behaviour and conduct, it is usually the hallmark of a typical startup, where its culture is based on being a yes person. I am not sure what Akura8 is building, but it is certainly gift-wrapped in image consultancy, then in originality. I felt misled, ghosted and strung along. It is just not me; most of the comments here reflect the same, so that implies it is a cultural problem - not just a recruiting one. Akrur8 brands itself as transparent and inclusive, while the hiring process reflects and signals the opposite.