I applied online and was invited for an interview. After a few days of no response, I followed up and we arranged a date, which they cancelled on the same day (the recruiter seemed unwell, so I understand this). The interview itself was very awkward. They had provided a 10+ page interview brief but disregarded it during the call. The only question they asked was “tell me about yourself,” and their body language felt dismissive. It felt like a scence from “The Office”. The company claims to be innovative and in some cases a tech-company, but I don’t think that is the case (unless you want to consider anyone with a website and/or app as a tech company). The process was disorganised and inconsistent; the recruiter didn’t have competency or skill-based questions. They emphasised how seriously they take recruitment and their pursuit of the best candidates, but it felt like they were mimicking what they thought other companies do, which just made it cringey. A major red flag was their fixation on DISC personality types. This raised practical questions about how they categorise staff in the first place. I decided to withdraw my candidacy and provided feedback to the recruiter, who accepted it in all fairness. Overall, it seemed like an environment where confidence trumps competence.

The process began with a screening call, which was fairly standard. The talent team were very friendly and spoke highly of the company and role, making the opportunity sound exciting. Afterwards, I received a positive email, congratulating me on progressing to the next stage. The second stage involved a case study, which seemed a little unusual as it was assigned before I had a chance to speak with the hiring manager. The instructions emphasised not spending too much time on it and focusing more on the process rather than specific solutions, which was clear. However, instead of setting an interview date straight away, I was asked to submit my presentation on a web form before a date could be offered—an unusual requirement. I submitted the slides, following the "don’t spend too much time on it" guidance, but four days later, I received an email saying I wouldn’t be moving forward in the process. What surprised me was that there wasn’t an opportunity to present the slides in person, especially since my presentation was designed to be explained verbally. This approach to recruitment might explain why the job posting has remained open for several months.