Applied on their website Recruiter set up phone call. Said that they really liked my profile and HM liked as well, will schedule a follow-up. Was excited for the role but they never got back or replied to any emails (ghosted)

I went through multiple interviews with different members of the team. The first was with the hiring manager, followed by a Product Sense interview with a PM, which felt a bit disconnected from the actual role. Then, there was an engineering interview that was disorganized and time-constrained, where I had to explain my product design strategies under pressure. The next rounds included interviews with members from the Trust and Safety, Project Management, and Data Science teams. These were much more straightforward, and I genuinely enjoyed them as I got to learn more about the team. After that, they asked if I could interview with another Data Science team member, which I found a bit frustrating given how many interviews I had already completed. The questions were largely repetitive, but the interviewer was friendly, and the conversation ended up being enjoyable. I was then told the team would recalibrate and decide if I would move forward to the final rounds with a VP and HRBP. After waiting quite a while, I was finally contacted by the recruiter, who informed me that hiring for the role was being paused due to the holiday shutdown and budget concerns. While I understand that circumstances can change, it felt like I was left in limbo for far too long. To be honest, it would have been better to get a clear rejection rather than being kept in the waiting game for over a month. The whole process felt like a waste of time, especially after going through so many rounds of interviews. I understand that the job market is challenging right now, but I feel that the company should reconsider its interview process. It’s hard to understand why so many rounds were necessary, especially when the company’s reputation doesn't seem to live up to its previous affiliations with Google. With the recent data privacy scandals, it seems like the company is facing some serious challenges. It would be helpful if they were more transparent and compassionate in their approach. After investing more than two months into this process, only to be told the role won't be filled, it's hard not to feel disappointed.