The interview process took approximately a month. It began with the thirty-minute standard HR screen and a one-hour interview with the hiring manager. Both were virtual.
The next step was preparing a 30-minute panel presentation on my background and experience, presenting it at a panel interview, and five additional 1:1 interviews onsite with the company. This was approximately 2.5-3 hours in total.
After all these interviews, I was told there would be a final interview with the CEO. I didn't make it to this stage.
Overall, I am leaving this process extremely torn. This company has bright minds and is working towards making a big impact. But, there are several red flags I noticed. Here are my thoughts:
-I was given time to show up for the presentation and panel interview. They never asked about accommodating my schedule; I was just expected to show up.
-The process needed to be more organized. People were not coordinated or sure when they were to interview me after my panel presentation.
-I interviewed with high-level titles for a manager role, which included COO, CFO, Head of HR, Head of Marketing, and Head of Legal.
-I spent approximately 5 hours interviewing and easily 20-30 hours prepping a deck and presentation for the panel.
I followed up twice after my onsite interview. I did receive a reply, but it was vague and unspecific.
Companies have to choose the best candidates for the role! But don't ask candidates to commit this amount of time to an interview process and leave them wondering what happened.