I applied online as a direct candidate. The online process seemed fairly straightforward. I was then contacted by an internal recruiter to have a conversation and initial screening which all seemed a positive experience, until it went quiet for a long time. I was then offered an interview a few weeks later. The interview itself lacked a little structure and flow in terms of the questioning style and the interview panel didn’t really seem on the same page. I had a excel task to complete 30 minutes before, and then had competency questions, along with questions around my experience and CV. I was advised that I would hear an outcome in a week, but unfortunately that did not happen and was left without feedback or an outcome. Keen to work for Kantar, I came across another opportunity with different section/department which was a lower level role. Rather than just applying straight away, I wanted to reach out to the person who posted the role on LinkedIn to explain my situation. I didn’t receive any response so took the time to apply for the other role. There was a delay, but eventually I was sent a standard rejection email which didn’t make sense given I was screened and invited for interview for a higher level role before. Still waiting for an outcome to my first interview, I continued to chase 3 times for an update and was eventually told in the end that it was offered to an internal candidate. I wish companies would do all their internal talent processes before going external. - The time and effort external candidates go through to follow and submit companies own application processes (rather than just submitting a CV, which would be easier), taking time for interview preparation, research and physical time attending interviews to then not be given the courtesy of proper feedback or an outcome is very disappointing and leaves a lasting negative impression of the company. It really felt like I was strung along for a long time! In summary; 1. Don’t post your recruiter name on LinkedIn if you don’t want to be contacted about the role. 2. Do your internal talent identification first before going external as you waste people’s time. 3. Improve your timelines - unnecessary delays mean you loose good candidates. 4. Improve communication between recruiters and hiring managers and be as honest as you can with candidates - ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘I haven’t heard anything yet’ isn’t good enough. Overall, my initial experience was positive and I was excited by the role, company and opportunities on offer, but that was quickly dampened out by my experiences as described above. I don’t usually feel the need to post reviews but given my negative experience, Put it this way, I won’t be signing up for future job alerts to this company.