I interviewed for a Senior Consultant role and honestly had a great experience through most of the process. Several people at the firm - including informal interviews with leadership - were thoughtful, engaging, and genuinely excited about the conversation, including sharing perspectives on where they thought I could really add value to the firm. The final interview, however, felt completely different. TGG has a strong reputation in the Portland consulting community, which made the experience especially surprising. It was the second-to-last step before the partner round, and within the first few minutes it became pretty clear the energy had shifted from a mutual conversation to a much more procedural “confirming fit concerns” type of interview. One interviewer seemed largely disengaged throughout much of the discussion, and the overall tone felt notably inconsistent with the TGG curiosity, grounded confidence, and relationship-centered culture presented throughout the process. To be honest, I was too senior for the role and operating at a different level than what the firm ultimately wanted for the position. I completely understand and, since then, I’ve landed in a full-time role that is a much better fit for my background and experience, so things honestly worked out for the best on both sides. That said, having spent a lot of time on both sides of the hiring process throughout my career - and while I completely understand that interviewers won’t always agree on fit, especially with candidates coming from broader or more senior backgrounds - candidates always deserve a fully engaged and professional experience throughout the process at a minimum. While the last interview with leadership left me disappointed, I did meet several great people throughout the process and genuinely appreciated those conversations.