I first met with a leadership staff member and the conversation was engaging and pleasant. I advanced to a skills-based assessment, which I put a great deal of time into, which advanced me to the final round with the CEO and another leadership team member. The interview was pleasant and they requested references, which I quickly supplied. The questions for my references were three-pages long and I learned much later I was not the final candidate. The references were checked mid-way through their hiring process. This is unprecedented in professional experience. References are asked when the organization is ready to make an offer, not as a tie-breaker between candidates. After I submitted my references communication with the organization fell flat. I heard from the CEO more than 10 days later (missing two promised notification dates). I was sent a form email. When I questioned the nontraditional process, I received a robotic reply. After all of the time I, my references (three pages of questions) put into the process, this was wholly unsatisfactory and wildly disappointing.