Humiliating interview experience. Probably one of the worst I've ever had. 4/5 interviews were fine. The very last one made it so I wouldn't want to work at the company, even if extended an offer— and I'll never recommend it to another person either. That's the impact one person can have on candidate experience... Here's a third person account of why: -- The interviewer was late. Not exactly apologetic. Complained about being in meetings all day up until the interview and having to scarf their lunch in the moments leading up to the interview. Candidate was understanding, even asking the interviewer if they wanted to reschedule. Interviewer's expression was deadpan throughout the candidate’s responses, from the intros part of the interview to the very end. Interviewer did not provide visual (no smiling, nodding, etc.) or audible cues (no "mmm", "uh huh", "oh", "yea?", etc) to signal that they were present, or following the candidate's responses. (Later, the interviewer's reasoning for this was they were taking notes and are introverted... No comment.) Interviewer did not ask follow-up questions after the candidate’s response, even when the candidate explicitly offered to drill down on what were meant to be introductory high-level answers to broad questions. Interviewer dryly responded “Ok” to every answer the candidate gave, before moving onto the next question. There was no dialogue had. After asking their questions, the Interviewer solicited questions from the candidate. Candidate offered a two-part question about recruiting metrics and recruiting management's flexibility/understanding when those metrics weren't met. Interviewer responded, “I don’t think I got your… ~*RoBuSt*~ question.” Interviewer left a short comedic pause before “robust”. Interviewer also bulged their eyes as if exasperated by the [apparently] long question. This was perhaps the most egregious offense. The interviewer’s timing and choice of language were an underhanded way to call the candidate verbose or long-winded to their face. Whether or not that feedback was valid, it was an undignified, humiliating way to give feedback during an interview that had already been going poorly. Time and place... Making a passive aggressive joke as if the candidate was not going to pick up on it in the moment was an also insult to the candidate's intelligence. When candidate repeated the question, Interviewer paused for a moment. Interviewer clicked on their mousepad and seemed to read their computer screen. Candidate thought perhaps they'd gotten an urgent ping. But no. Interviewer finally asked candidate, "Did you meet with [so-and-so] earlier?". When candidate confirmed, the interviewer said, "This was a question you should have asked them..." The candidate clarified: "[So-and-so] told me to ask you..." [*Insert Sabrina Brier Saying "Oh" Meme*] Once they finally answered the question, the interviewer’s responses to the candidate’s questions were off-topic, and objectively just as long as the candidate’s “robust” responses. -- Honestly, interviewing with AI would have made for a more human, delightful candidate experience. It felt as if the interviewer had already known that the team was extending an offer to someone else, if they hadn't already. Knowing that, maybe the interviewer saw it as an opportunity to check out. Or maybe the interviewer decided early in the interview that I wasn't a fit, which is fair! It happens. What's not fair is making that apparent to a candidate during the interview. The interviewer in question is one of the senior-most people on the team I would have joined. Also one of the people with the longest tenures on the team and at the company. If they're this passive-aggressive/rude during an interview... I can't imagine how they treat people on a day-to-day. I don't want to. Ultimately, I was rejected. No feedback was given, even though I asked for it. My polite request for feedback went ignored. It's been two weeks and I'm still thinking back on this experience and how hurtful and humiliating it was. It's been hard to bounce back from being poked fun at during a vulnerable time. I hope no one experiences something like this at Gusto or anywhere else again. The process: 45 minute screen with a recruiter 2 hr 45 minute final round of four interviews: 1. People Team and Collaboration - collaboration and partnering skills - prioritization in ambiguous environments - communication style 2. Core Recruiting Skills - full-cycle recruiting experience - recruiting systems/tools - candidate attraction/closure - building diverse pipelines/teams 3. Partnerships with Hiring Managers - forming and sustaining effective partnerships with HMs - establishing trust and rapport - aligning recruitment goals with HM's specific needs 4. Values and Motivations Alignment - embody a service mindset - dream big, then make it real - be proud of the how - embrace ownership mentality - debate than commit