First round -> recruiter screen Second round -> hiring manager interview Third round -> product assessment It was possible that the sales (hiring) manager seemed precarious in his position. It was mentioned there was a new VP of Sales so the status quo was obviously being challenged. In this situation, there is a prevalent fear of hiring the right “yes” people as the manager. Sales reps need to be proficient enough to do the job but not outshine and be a threat! The new VP of Sales would do well to go through the applicants rejected and make sure stellar candidates were not gate kept.