I went through what HR described as the “final stages” of hiring for this position. The process included an initial interview with the recruiter, two rounds with team members, and a final interview with the president. HR repeatedly suggested that once you meet with the president, it’s essentially a culture-fit conversation and that an offer is likely next. Based on that, I nearly turned down another opportunity because I was led to believe I had the job. Even in the second interview, one of the executives asked, “How excited are you to be working here in the future?” which strongly implied a forthcoming offer. Days later, I was informed they were “moving forward with another candidate.” The experience left me feeling misled and frustrated. Candidates deserve transparent communication and realistic expectations, not false hope. In researching the organization, I also noticed that senior leadership compensation appears extremely high for a nonprofit of this size, and there are past Department of Justice settlements related to compliance issues. It’s worth reviewing their 990s and public disclosures before committing your time or energy here.