I recently completed a six-round interview process over the span of three weeks, only to be told I was not selected. The experience was, candidly, exhaustive and unnecessarily protracted. During the on-site panel, one interviewer asked me to “say something very professional,” which felt more like a pop quiz from a 1990s training manual than a modern talent-assessment tactic. That same individual also pressed me to recall names of colleagues from 15+ years ago because she previously held a senior role at a similar organization. I’m sure the role would have been a long-term opportunity, but six interviews—paired with questionable self-awareness and outdated evaluation methods—crosses into diminishing-returns territory. In this market, candidate experience matters, and talent will self-select out when processes feel misaligned with contemporary leadership practices.

I interviewed with the recruiter who was very helpful and provided a lot of information and advice on what to expect from the next two interviews. I made it all the way to the final in person interview with the supervisor and was told the position was no longer available.