I went through a full interview process for a Senior Product Designer role that lasted approximately 8 weeks, from early February to early April. The process included 6 rounds: 1 Initial HR screening call 2 Video call with a Product Designer from the team 3 Design Deep Dive / App Review session 4 Portfolio Presentation to a panel of 4 team members 5 Cross-functional Collaboration interview with a Senior PM 6 Final session with the VP of Design The level of preparation required at each stage was significant — particularly the design challenge and the portfolio presentation. The interviewers were professional and the conversations were genuinely engaging. What I found disappointing: the response times between rounds were long and communication was minimal. After completing all 6 rounds, including a session with the VP of Design, the rejection feedback was limited to 'a very specific fit for the squad's current needs' — which tells a candidate nothing actionable after that level of investment. Candidates who reach the final round deserve feedback that's specific enough to be useful. A two-month process with six rounds asks a lot of people's time and energy. The least a company can offer in return is an honest explanation of why it didn't work out.

It was a 5 step process. Intro call with HR, call with Head of design, then Product Managers, and live whiteboard exercise. Overall, it was smooth. HR was misleading about the salary. In the end, I couldn’t trust it would suit my transparency needs.