The interview process felt unnecessarily long and intense, reflecting an outdated Silicon Valley–style approach. Despite the time commitment required from candidates, communication was slow—after completing all stages, it took over a month to receive a decision. The number of rounds felt excessive relative to the role. Interview stages included: Recruiter screening call Initial interview with the hiring manager Back-to-back interviews (1 hour total) with two cross-functional partners Take-home assessment Presentation of the take-home assessment to multiple employees Final meeting with the hiring manager The first time I interviewed for a role, I completed the take home assessment and then got ghosted from recruiting for weeks - didn't get the chance to present it and was informed an internal candidate was hired instead.