This interview process turned out to be disappointing, unprofessional and ultimately, a waste of my time. I think our current state of the world, economy and the ongoing job crisis puts into perspective that people are not okay and everyone deserves to have their time taken seriously, as it shows a sense of kindness and a company's commitment to reciprocating that energy from candidates.
My first interview was virtual and with a member of HR who came across as kind, empathetic, but also direct and transparent. I very much appreciated that interaction and left that conversation feeling pleasantly surprised at how refreshing it was to not have an interviewer have me regurgitate the same points already made in my resume, but instead have the conversation feel more human and less mechanical.
After that call, she mentioned I would proceed to the second round interview in person with the VP of HR. So that following week I took time out of the middle of my work day to travel downtown to a lounge in the middle of Times Square to meet and as soon as I approached her I immediately knew where this interaction would go.
The interaction felt extremely judgemental and she could not stop making it obvious she was staring at a few of my arm tattoos (I was dressed very appropriately and professionally, but its nearly Summer in NYC) and it was a bit jarring because it's 2026 and this is NYC. So to have that experience while being told about diversity and inclusion and the importance of company culture, I found that ironic. Secondly, she would ask me a question and instead of allowing me to process through my responses and give context and scenarios she would literally interrupt me and ask about something else I mentioned while in the middle of one response and throw me completely off. It was rude, smug, and very intentional and made me extremely uncomfortable. This was a very weird interaction and a complete 360 from my previous interview. Ultimately, the vibe I got was it would probably be a nightmare to work here and I definitely dodged a bullet. Also, this company shouldn't have the face of People and culture lack warmth, Diptyque do better.
With that said, after that meeting they went completely ghost on me. No follow up emails, futher interactions and no decency to at the minimum acknowledge me for my time and let me know I did not move on.
I say with this, tread lightly because if that was an example of leadership from the company than I am sure others can't be too far behind or worse. Those in power thrive off ego and if one person is allowed to behave that way than it means there is a mirror effect around them and no one is holding anyone accountable.