I interviewed for a senior marketing role and went through their full process over two months. In total, I did 6 interviews, a culture‑fit assessment, and a final “judgment” test. Based on how the process and communication were handled, I’d strongly caution other candidates before committing this much time and effort as they ghosted me. I took the time to write this in‑depth review as the way we are treated shouldn’t continue. I hope this helps prospective candidates.
This was a company I really wanted to work for. I had a total of 6 interviews, including a 2‑hour panel with 4 people back‑to‑back. I am very disappointed with this company, the process, and the recruiter. The process dragged on for 2 months with no proactive follow‑ups. I had to keep checking in because weeks would go by between steps and I had no idea what was next.
In one interview, I was told I’d be considered for another role that was supposedly a better fit. I asked the recruiter multiple times for the job description for that role and never got an answer. By the end, I didn’t even have a clear sense of which specific role I was actually being evaluated for. They string candidates along with random assessments, essentially keeping you “warm” because by then you’ve invested so much time and energy that you tell yourself “it’ll be worth it” to just keep going. I did not feel my time was respected, despite the hiring manager saying the first assessment was to avoid wasting anyone’s time.
After the 2‑hour panel (thought this was the end of the process at this point), I was hit with a second assessment I hadn’t been told about; a judgment test I’d never seen before in my career. It was jarring, with extreme (and very thought‑provoking) high/low rankings that didn’t feel tailored to the role. I still completed it because I’d already invested so much and genuinely enjoyed my conversations with the different teams I would be collaborating with. Later, I looked up the assessment vendor and found that they recommend giving this test late in the hiring process because candidates are more likely to stay engaged once they’ve had significant contact with the company and feel they have a strong chance at the role. In this context, that approach felt extremely manipulative to me as a candidate, especially when you’re then ghosted.
I followed up with the recruiter about a week after finishing the assessment, assuming maybe they didn’t realize I’d completed it. No response. No confirmation. Nothing. I followed up one last time a week after that. Again, ignored. After such a long process with zero proactive communication, of course top talent is going to drop out or refuse to take yet another assessment. You’re left wondering whether you “passed or failed” each stage with no visibility into any of it. The assessment tells you not to overthink, but it’s hard not to when the company has gone silent and doesn’t share any score or data with you. You’re stuck questioning whether you somehow “ranked your answers wrong.” At this point, it honestly felt like the assessment was more about keeping me “warm” than seriously considering my candidacy.
Overall, this was a disheartening two‑month experience. For a department whose core skillset is communication, the way they treat candidates is really lacking. I understand this kind of process is becoming the new norm, but it shouldn’t be, and I refuse to condone it. Treat candidates with basic respect. Communicate. Close the loop, especially with people who go through multiple rounds and complete last‑minute, surprise assessments.
What this whole process suggested to me is that they don’t trust their own judgment, even after multiple interviews and after I passed their initial culture‑fit assessment. The later judgment test does not reflect how a senior marketer actually evaluates marketing situations or risk to the company. You can’t claim to “own your mistakes” or say you care about people and then refuse to take accountability for how you treat candidates.