In the beginning of September, I was approached on LinkedIn by the newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer, who was looking to add a few team members to build marketing and brand operations. We had a very positive conversation. The hiring manager was enthusiastic, set clear expectations, and had a strong understanding of what was needed for the team. They were proactive about hiring, which felt like the right approach given that the recruiter currently supporting the process did not seem qualified for the role. The hiring manager regularly sent me updates and informed me that the recruiter would reach out to arrange the next steps. The call with the recruiter was scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. Unfortunately, the recruiter was not in a fit state for an interview. He explained that he had attended a wedding the night before and was still recovering. The interview was awkward, but we powered through. Although he asked questions relevant to the role, he did not seem to fully understand either the questions or my responses. I then had a third-round interview with the COO. It was a very engaging conversation, with smart questions focusing on analytics, KPIs, and measurable successes. I felt there was a solid understanding of the importance of social media at the leadership level. A few days later, I received an email from the recruiter informing me that the company would not be moving forward with my application. When I asked for feedback, he replied that Hypervolt doesn’t usually provide feedback because if he provided it to one candidate, he would have to provide it to everyone, which would “take up all his time.” He then proceeded to share his personal feedback, which did not reflect the conversations I had with the hiring manager and COO. Overall, I would advise applicants not to waste their time, as the candidate experience at Hypervolt requires significant improvement.