I went through six interviews for an HRIS role, which felt excessive for the position. The team members I met were very nice, and I clicked well with the managers and director. The culture seemed positive based on my interactions. However, the VP interview (final round) was confusing and poorly structured. Most questions were unclear and lacked depth - for example, I was asked whether I preferred direct communication or “sugar-coated” communication. Would anyone answer they prefer sugar-coated communication? The questions didn’t provide any meaningful insight into skills, experience, or fit for the role. It was frustrating and went to show that not everyone is a great interviewer, and sometimes talent can be overlooked if the process isn’t thoughtfully designed. Communication throughout the process was very poor. I rarely received updates and had to reach out multiple times to get any information. The feedback I received was that I had strong technical skills but lacked soft skills. Why did it take 6 rounds of interviews to arrive at such a general conclusion? And if this was their final hesitancy, why weren’t the references I provided multiple times contacted? Overall, I felt my time and effort were not respected. I invested nearly two months in this process, only to walk away frustrated and disappointed.