My interview experience with Outokumpu was quite unpleasant. The first round of interviews involved HR and the hiring manager. HR was merely a figurehead throughout, contributing little to the conversation. The hiring manager immediately delved into detailed questions about my project experience and algorithms, even making a notable comment: 'Considering your previous employment was all with small to medium enterprises, can I doubt your ability to work in a larger company?' After this initial interview, I was still in the dark about the role's benefits, salary range, and work location. This interview took place in early December, and there was no communication until Christmas, not even a follow-up. Surprisingly, around New Year's, I received a coding task. Upon completing it, I had a technical interview followed by another interview with the hiring manager's manager. After successfully passing all these stages, HR requested my reference contacts. Shockingly, even at this point, I was not informed about the job's seniority level or salary. When I inquired, the response was 'confidential.' After they contacted my references, there was a two-week silence. It was only after I sent two follow-up emails, expressing understanding if I was a backup candidate but asking for interview performance feedback, that I received an automated template rejection email. Expressing my dissatisfaction, I was informed that they conduct background checks on all candidates who make it to the final round. However, it seemed they did not treat candidates and their references with due respect. My references are highly esteemed in their fields, their time is valuable, and acquiring their recommendations involves significant time and social capital. Moreover, a failure at this stage could lead to additional social stress. As for the feedback on my interview performance that I requested? Well, it appears they had already forgotten about it.