PROCESS OVERVIEW
I went through two separate, complete interview processes for two different roles at InterSystems over the course of about a year. In both cases I received positive feedback from every member of the interview panel. In both cases my candidacy was blocked at the executive level.
PROS
The people are the best part of this process. Every interviewer I met with was thoughtful, well-prepared, and generous with their time. The hiring manager was transparent about the team's needs and genuinely engaged. The recruiter was responsive and supportive throughout. If you get to the interview stage, you will meet impressive people doing interesting work.
CONS
Be aware that final decision-making authority may not rest with the panel that interviews you, and that this may not be disclosed upfront.
In my second process, InterSystems initiated contact with me. I was explicitly told the approval structure had changed and that the CEO no longer had sign-off authority on all new hires. I re-engaged on that basis. After completing a full panel of interviews and again receiving positive feedback, I was told an executive was not comfortable moving my candidacy forward because I had been previously rejected in the first process.
This outcome was foreseeable. The prior rejection was not a secret. If that history was going to be a factor in executive decision-making, it should have been identified before I re-entered the process, not after I had completed it a second time.
ADVICE TO CANDIDATES
Ask directly and early who has final approval authority on the hire, and whether any prior history with the company, including previous applications, could be a factor in that decision. The interviewers are excellent. The process around them needs work.
