I had a disappointing experience with the recruitment process.
The process involved multiple interview stages, senior-level conversations and an in-person visit. By that stage, the level of engagement gave me every reason to believe the process was progressing seriously.
What made the experience frustrating was the lack of consistency and alignment throughout. The role was presented one way during the interviews, but the final feedback suggested they were actually looking for something materially different: far broader, more operational and significantly more autonomous than had been clearly communicated.
The overall process felt disorganised and internally misaligned. Communication was slow, expectations shifted throughout, and the final feedback felt disconnected from the process I had been taken through. It gave the impression that different stakeholders had very different understandings of what the role actually was and what they wanted from the successful candidate.
For a company that publicly presents itself as values-led, professional and people-focused, the recruitment experience did not reflect that. I left feeling that my time, effort and commitment throughout the process had not been properly respected.
Not being selected for a role is completely normal. My concern is the lack of clarity, consistency and internal alignment throughout the process itself.