I interviewed with this company for a product role and found the overall process to be disorganized and inconsistent across different stages.
The first interview started approximately 10 minutes late without prior notice, which set a poor initial impression regarding coordination.
I was later invited to an on-site case presentation where I was told I would present to three people. In practice, only one person was physically present, while others joined remotely due to illness. During the presentation, the in-person interviewer appeared largely focused on their computer, and after the first part of the session seemed to engage only minimally. This made it difficult to understand how the work was being evaluated.
Communication during the process also felt inconsistent. After an early interview, I received calls and emails late on a Friday evening requesting a response, followed by continued discussion over the weekend. This made me question the working hours of the company.
In another interview, I was asked detailed questions about my previous employer’s funding situation. When I explained that I did not have access to that information, I was questioned on why I did not know it. This line of questioning felt unrelated to my candidacy and uncomfortable in tone.
I also asked about the rationale for the role, and was told that existing team members were close to burnout and that the role would primarily provide additional support with a more limited, horizontal scope rather than significant upward growth. This was communicated several times throughout the later stages of the process.
The most confusing part of the process occurred after I received an offer. During salary negotiations, I proposed meeting somewhere between the revised offer and my expectations while clearly stating I remained interested in the role. In a later call, I was told there were concerns that I might not be happy in the position. This was surprising, as I had not expressed dissatisfaction with the role, team, or company.
When I clarified this, the person I spoke with appeared surprised and said they would revisit the discussion internally. The following day, I was informed that I had communication issues and that the company would not proceed further, citing concerns about alignment and communication.
Overall, the experience suggested a lack of alignment and consistency in communication across interviewers and stages of the hiring process. While I met some engineers who were professional and friendly, the process as a whole felt poorly coordinated and unclear.
Note: I did not decline the offer. The company decided not to proceed after salary negotiations, stating concerns that I would not be happy in the role.