I went through a 7-week marathon that started professionally but ended as a complete case study in recruitment failure. After an HR screening and a solid 1-hour technical/architectural interview, I was moved to the final stage: two separate interviews with a Tech Manager and a Senior PM.
The feedback was positive, yet what followed was a series of unprofessional hurdles:
The "Ghosting & Pivot" Loop: After a week of silence, I received an auto-reject email, only for HR to immediately backtrack, claiming I was still being "strongly considered" for another role within the system.
The "Next Week" Trap: For three consecutive weeks, I was told a "final decision" or a "final interview for another candidate" would happen "next week."
Incompetent Scheduling: At one point, HR actually tried to schedule a follow-up on a Statutory Holiday, showing a complete lack of attention to detail.
The Endless Delay: Each time I followed up, the goalposts moved—"Manager is out," "One more interview next week," etc.
Lululemon consistently talks about "culture" and "people," but their recruitment process treats experienced engineers as placeholders rather than professionals with competing offers. It is not difficult to be human and provide a definitive "No" instead of dragging someone along for over a month with empty promises.
Advice to Management: Respect your candidates' time. If you aren't ready to hire or can't manage a schedule, don't start the process. Your "culture" starts with how you treat people before they are on the payroll.
