A normal enough process, starting with a HR screening call which went well (1st interview). However, the overall process lacked clarity and structure. The recruiter was relatively helpful but consistently provided incomplete and even incorrect details about the different stages. I also had to chase for updates regularly.
The 2nd interview went well enough, with some tough questions designed to put candidates on the spot. This approach seemed appropriate given the role, though it wouldn't be my preferred interviewing style.
The 3rd step involved a take-home task that was poorly scoped with unclear success criteria. This is a common complaint with take-home tasks, but this one particularly lacked clarity about expected outcomes, requiring significantly more time than reasonable for an unpaid assessment. I basically had to complete two different tasks to cover the ambiguous requirements.
The 4th and final interview was conducted in a confrontational style with constant interruptions and abstract questions. The session was poorly managed. Ironically the shortest interview despite being the main decision-making stage. The senior manager in the interview appeared to be looking for very specific answers that were never clearly communicated. Mind you that I already went through a heavy set of questions about the subject in my previous stages. The session ended abruptly with no opportunity for me to ask questions, which came across as unprofessional.
The subsequent feedback I got was vague, unhelpful, and unfair in my opinion. My personal experience suggests a lack of process and confrontational interview culture that likely reflects the broader workplace environment.
