I applied online with my salary requirements. I was on the low end of their posted 150-165k listed for the position. The next day I had a phone screening with their 3rd party recruiter. I then had a phone screening with Chief Strategy Officer. I felt a great connection to him as a potential peer on the executive leadership team. I was asked to go in for an in-person interview and met with three people for 3 hours. At the end of that meeting, Dave asked me to come back again for a 2nd in-person interview. During the 2nd in-person meeting, I heard nothing but positive feedback and that all the reviews from my interviews were positive. Mike, the owner, offered me the job. He told me how everyone spoke highly of me, and the position was personally significant to him. Mike said to me that I would work with the CFO and Chief Strategy Officer for the offer. He told me I would get what I want and that job offers are like conversations so that everyone is happy. I was asked for my references. The recruiter said they were working on the official job offer and that I would be presented with my required salary since they accepted it at the beginning of my interview process. There was no offer for two days. On the 3rd day, the Chief Strategy Officer texted me and asked me to meet for coffee. During that meeting, he asked me how I felt about not reporting to the owners. I told him that I would not take the job if they did not take the people's side of the business seriously. He was very cryptic and then said that the job was only going to be for talent development and nothing else. I tried to explain that it would be a significant part of the job, but I had many essential areas to cover as the head of HR. I left that meeting completely puzzled. I called the recruiter, and she said that she did not know anything about the meeting or the changes he had discussed with me and would call me right back. Over 24 hours went by, and she finally called me. She explained that the owners did not want the position to report to them because they had it that way before and didn't like it. They also reduced the salary for the position by 50k and asked if I still wanted to accept the job. I told her absolutely not. I wasted 6 hours of interviewing and 36 hours excited about my new job. How can the VP of People and Culture be the most critical position to the company's president yet not report to him and not be paid market value? They clearly posted it was the head of HR along with their accepted-salary range. How do they find it acceptable to play games with a candidate with a bait and switch. Their commitment to their workforce is a sham. I caution anyone who considers interviewing for them or working there, period.