Applied online and a recruiter responded to setup time for a phone screen. Our conversation was the standard phone screen questions. The recruiter outlined her process and mentioned she would respond with any next steps in a week, and if not, to please reach out. A week passed a no update, so I reached out to the recruiter as she had suggested. Her response was that the Hiring Manager was sick and to give her another week. Well, this went on for week - no update and when I asked for an update, a new reason was given - Hiring Manager was traveling, Hiring Manager was sick, etc. Finally after weeks, the recruiter said Hiring Manager was prioritizing local candidates. And I still don't know the actual status of my candidacy. While I agree with the preference to start with local candidates, more transparency and decisive communication would go a long way from the candidate perspective. As recruiting is often the first face of a company with candidates, a poor experience can leave a poor impression of the company.