I had a 30-minute phone screen. Then, I had a 3-hour writing assignment. Then, I had a Zoom call with a manager followed by one with an MD. I received a call from HR the next morning. She indicated that I would receive an offer the following week, that I was qualified, that she knew I was good fit from the start, and she went on to disclose the benefits, start date and training period. Lastly, she indicated it was her last day and that the hiring process was being handed over to a different HR person within the company. Things have been hard for a very long while, so; I was naturally excited about the opportunity; told my spouse, my friends, and my family, and I even bought a couple of pairs of running shorts. The hard times were finally over for me; how could something go wrong at this point? I received a rejection email the following Tuesday from the new HR person. Despite, the MD previously telling me to reach out if I had any questions, they’ve ignored my follow-up email. To the best of my knowledge, there weren’t any red flags in my application. Do not make plans until you have received an offer letter, no matter what you are told.

I was approached by an HR representative from Exiger, who was very kind throughout the process. However, this was probably one of the strangest and most inefficient interview processes I’ve experienced. I went through four different assessment stages. The final step required me to go downtown for a live assessment, which I successfully passed, followed by a panel interview. After that, there was no communication for almost three weeks, until I was eventually informed that they had decided to move forward with “more qualified candidates.” What made the experience especially frustrating was the length and intensity of the process compared to the lack of transparency and communication. Overall, it felt like a significant investment of time and energy without a well-structured hiring outcome.