I had an interview with Danone Business Services team in Malaysia. The interview experience left me with quite a bit to reflect on. The interviewer was clearly experienced and had a strong understanding of both the company and the business. It was interesting to hear more about the organization’s direction and priorities, and I was genuinely looking forward to the conversation as a chance to share how my background and experiences could contribute. However, as the discussion went on, I felt that the conversation leaned more toward a top-down approach. What caught me by surprise was that during the discussion, I was told rather directly that my background wasn’t quite the right fit. I’m not entirely sure what the intention behind that statement was, especially since I was invited to the first-round interview — which usually suggests some alignment between the candidate’s profile and the role. While I completely understand that not every profile will match perfectly, hearing that in such a straightforward way during the conversation felt a little discouraging and perhaps could have been handled with more tact. It also made me wonder how the organization’s stated values, such as openness and humanism, are brought to life in the interview experience.