I reached my penultimate interview, it was with the Sr Director of TA (Talent Acquisition). In my 2nd interview with him, he asked how can one improve conversion rate, to which i said, one key area to dive deeper is Candidate Experience. He spent the next many minutes debating, saying it has nothing to with conversion on various stages of application/interviews. I didn't get the role, of course. In case someone from the company is reading this, here's a recap + additional data. ALL THE BEST! 1. Direct Impact on Conversion - Poor candidate experience can lead to drop-offs at various stages - Candidates may withdraw from lengthy, unclear processes - No response/feedback can lead to ghosting by candidates - Long wait times between stages can cause loss of interested candidates to other opportunities 2. Long-term Business Impact - Candidates are often potential customers/users - Virgin Media famously calculated they were losing $5M annually due to poor candidate experience (rejected candidates canceling their services) - Negative experiences get shared on platforms like Glassdoor, LinkedIn - Can affect future talent pool (people may not apply based on others' experiences) 3. Market Dynamics - In competitive markets (like tech), candidates often have multiple options - Good talent can afford to be selective - Candidate experience can be a differentiator between similar opportunities 4. Specific Stage Impacts: - Application: Complex/broken application systems lead to abandonment - Assessment: Unclear instructions or poor communication lead to no-shows - Interview: Unprepared interviewers or lack of respect for candidate's time affect acceptance rates - Offer: Slow or poorly communicated offers can lead to candidate loss The stance that candidate experience doesn't affect conversion rates seems to ignore both empirical evidence and basic human psychology. It might suggest: - Limited understanding of recruitment metrics - Focus on short-term filling of positions rather than building sustainable talent pipelines - Lack of exposure to competitive hiring markets

While I appreciate the opportunity to interview with your company, I have some concerns and frustrations about the process that I believe need to be addressed. Here's a breakdown of my experience: Excessive Delays: The most noticeable issue in the interview process was the prolonged duration. Each round took an astonishing two weeks to complete, which not only caused frustration but also affected my overall job search. Swift decision-making is crucial in today's competitive job market. Misaligned Assessment: The initial assessment felt out of sync with the role I was interviewing for. It seemed more suitable for a data analyst position, making it a somewhat pointless exercise for someone pursuing a different role. This misalignment created confusion and didn't accurately evaluate my qualifications. Evaluation by Inexperienced Personnel: While the associate director and senior manager I interacted with during the interview were friendly, it was evident that they lacked the necessary experience and maturity to evaluate experienced candidates effectively. This lack of expertise left me uncertain about how my qualifications were being assessed. Prolonged Hiring Timeline: I learned that Agoda has been actively searching for this role for a substantial eight months. This extended hiring timeline raises doubts about the company's commitment to filling the position and suggests a preference for internal hires, leaving external candidates feeling disheartened and overlooked. Furthermore, the information that Agoda has not been able to make a leadership hire within the Talent Acquisition team for the past two years is concerning. This pattern raises questions about the effectiveness of your recruitment process and the ability to attract top-tier talent for leadership positions within your organization. In summary, my experience with Agoda's Talent Acquisition team has been frustrating and time-consuming. I believe that streamlining the interview process, aligning assessments with the role, and ensuring that interviewers have the requisite experience to evaluate candidates effectively would significantly enhance the candidate experience. Additionally, a commitment to external hiring for the advertised positions would contribute to a more positive candidate experience and build confidence in Agoda's recruitment process. I appreciate your attention to this feedback and hope that it can contribute to improving the overall candidate experience with Agoda.