An unprofessional, disrespectful mess.
The whole process started with a recruiter scheduling an interview, then cancelling 10 minutes after the interview time slot began. We rescheduled, and the call went as planned. The recruiter did not give me follow up information I asked for.
The second virtual call was a good experience. The interviewer was prepared, asked thoughtful questions, and provided clear next steps.
Before the third in person interview, their team started checking the 3 references I provided. This included unprofessional, cold LinkedIn messages to colleagues I have previously worked with to see what they thought about me, which happened without my permission. I did NOT include them as references that could be contacted.
The 3rd interview consisted of an informal 1 on 1 conversation and a panel. The panel planned for the in person interview changed 3 times in the 3 days before the interview, with no notice of major format changes, even on the day of the interview.
The whole process ended with a cold, stock rejection message from a recruiter, sent out as an automated message over a holiday weekend.