Unprofessional, Unnecessarily long, Unclear I applied for the role of a strategist, and had 6 rounds of interviews, an assignment and a presentation. The first round was with HR, the the hiring manager, then an assignment (a 3-slide presentation on Content Strategy after sorting through large Excel Sheets of viewing data), then presenting the assignment to 4 people, then interviews with all 4 of them, followed by another conversation with HR. The process was extremely time consuming, with little clarity on the next steps and infrequent updates. In return for all this, even after all these rounds and discussions, there wasn't any clarity on compensation either. After this rigmarole, in my last conversation with the HR, I was told that I would be getting the role and explained the final step, another interview (a formality) with their CEO (they really do love their interviews or their employees have too much time on their hands) but I would be sent an e-mail asking for references and post that extended an offer. They agreed to sponsor my visa after my 2-year graduate visa runs out (if both the company and I liked working with each other). I was to get an e-mail the next week regarding this. On the day this was to happen, I get a curt e-mail saying they have moved on and will not be pursuing my candidacy. This isn't my first rejection and won't be my last, but the way it was handled was unprofessional to say the least. After 6 rounds, an assignment and a presentation, getting me to waste all those hours talking to their staff, working on that assignment, if they were unsure of me, I'm sure it doesn't take someone that long to decide if I am not right for the role, unless they are that slow, literally and figuratively. Lastly, to confirm that I got the role, only to retract later is dishonourable. In hindsight, I am glad I was rejected because who knows how they deal with their employees - making some promises, only to backtrack later.
