For a large organization, IKEA truly has an astonishingly terrible interview process.
After applying for the position, I received quick notification that I had been selected for a phone interview. I took part in a brief phone interview with a recruiter who explained they wanted to move forward and that the next step would be a recorded interview, not with an actual person. I would sign onto a platform, be asked the interview questions, record my responses and the hiring team would review them. I hadn't done an interview like this before, but I appreciated getting to prepare my responses before recording them.
After completing my interview, I waited 8 days with no communication from IKEA regarding the recorded interview. I reached out and was told they were still conducting interviews and would update me. 14 days after my interview, I received a response, inviting me for a Microsoft Teams interview with the hiring team. I had my interview, which was the standard virtual interview and was told there would be a fourth interview after the current Teams one.
16 days after that interview, I hadn't received any communication, again. I reached out asking for an update and was told that I would get one by the end of that week. I never did.
I reached out at the beginning of the following week, informing them I never received the update they had said I would receive. About 2 hours later, I received a generic automated response of "Thanks for your interest, we received many great applications and have decided to continue with other candidates at this time." After three interviews and many missed communication deadlines on their end, I expected the recruiter to provide me with a response, not for them to simply click "reject" on my candidate profile in their system to auto generate a response.
Their recruitment process was a joke from start to finish. The way they keep candidates completely in the dark with no communication between steps is disrespectful, to have candidates go through 4 interviews is also a joke. I was not interviewing to be a manger, this was for an HR Business Partner, not entry level but not management, very much a mid level position. And after I reached out for an update, to provide me with an automated rejection email after I had taken part in 3 interviews over the course of a month and a half is completely appalling to me.
The way that a company treats hopeful candidates is very reflective of how they operate, and after this treatment, I will never and would never want to be a part of IKEA and I advise any of you to seriously consider if you wish to join them.
January 19
February 10
