I was invited to a first-stage interview and was informed that it would focus solely on assessing “cultural fit.” Before the interview concluded, the interviewer (Hiring Manager - Director-level individual) told me that I would be a good cultural fit. After several days without any communication, I followed up, only to be informed that they had chosen another candidate because they believed that person had more experience. This was surprising, given that I have 15 years of relevant experience, and at no point during the interview was I asked about my professional background, skills, or experience. This made the selection process feel arbitrary. The interviewer maintained a completely emotionless demeanour throughout the interview and did not smile once. The interaction felt scripted and impersonal. Ironically, the role I applied for required excellent communication skills, something that was noticeably lacking in their interactions with me. At the time, this experience left me feeling frustrated as I was highly interested in the role and had put considerable effort into preparing for the interview. In hindsight, I feel like I dodged a bullet as I would not want to work for an organisation that demonstrates such poor communication, unclear hiring practices, and a lack of transparency.