2025/01/29 The first contact was from an external IT recruiter via email. The job description matched my skill set, and the listed approximate starting salary range was 110,000 - 120,000 CZK/month. 2025/02/03 The first online interview was a very pleasant one with the recruiter and a Lead Software Engineer. It was on point—we asked each other relevant questions about expectations, experiences, and interests, and we decided to move forward with an in-person meeting. 2025/02/07 The second round took place at the office with the same Lead Software Engineer and recruiter. They provided a tour of the building and described their work in detail. I also met other employees. While I didn’t get much opportunity to express myself, the visit gave me a good sense of the company, the people, and the product. The Lead Software Engineer was highly experienced but remained warm and respectful throughout. 2025/02/24 The third round was with a C-level executive and another member of management. This interview was completely different from previous rounds. It became clear that their expectations for the role were significantly misaligned, and there seemed to be little to no internal communication about the position or my background. The interviewers questioned my qualifications in a way that felt unprofessional and repeatedly emphasized a lack of experience in areas unrelated to the job description. The C-level executive was unable to answer basic clarifying questions about the role, frequently responding with phrases like "I don’t understand that", "How is that relevant?" or "I don’t know." In multiple instances, information I had received in earlier rounds was dismissed as incorrect. This interview was a major red flag and significantly changed my perception of the company. 2025/02/26 I was later informed that they wanted to conduct an additional round with internal HR. The interview was professional and pleasant, and while the discussion mostly repeated topics covered in previous rounds, it was a positive experience. I asked about the previous interview round with the C-level executive and found out I'm not first to mention this, the position is open for over a year with all candidates dropping after that round. 2025/03/03 I received an offer, but it was for 87,000 CZK/month with a raise to 90,000 CZK after six months—significantly below the originally stated salary range of 110,000 - 120,000 CZK, which had been discussed in previous interviews. Given the concerns raised in the third interview, I was already hesitant to accept. 2025/03/10 Instead of immediately declining, I requested a follow-up conversation with the C-level executive to address the discrepancies. When I brought up concerns from the third interview, I one more received vague and dismissive responses such as "I don’t remember that", "I don’t know" or "How is that relevant?" When I asked about the salary, I was told that my experience supposedly didn’t match the expectations for the range originally listed. This confirmed my decision to walk away. 2025/03/14 I received feedback from the company that the C-level executive had decided not to move forward due to concerns that my approach to accuracy and accountability would not align with their work environment.