The process opened with an IQ style online assessment that felt disconnected from the nature of the role and added little value to evaluating fit. The interview itself was a one-way exchange the interviewer was focused entirely on extracting information about expertise and contributions, with little effort to sell the role or engage in any genuine dialogue. The tone came across as distant and transactional. Reading between the lines, the team appeared stretched and under pressure, which raised questions about workload and whether the hire was driven by genuine need or simply a bandwidth problem. An interview should be a two-way evaluation, this one was not.