I applied online and received an email from a recruiter inviting me for a phone screen. The recruiter asked pretty basic screening questions. After the phone screen, the next round was a round of virtual interviews with the team. Although everyone in the interview panel seemed nice, I couldn't help but feel immense bias in each of my conversations. They were constantly comparing this incoming "new hire" to the person they were backfilling for. When I asked "What are some of the qualities you're looking for in this incoming team member?" they answered, "Well 'X' is great and we would need someone like them." Red flag #1. At the end of my interviews, I met with the recruiter to debrief. They told me they would provide me with feedback and the next steps a week out because they wanted to interview other candidates before moving forward. I received a canned email the next day saying I didn't move forward and they offered to speak on the phone with me for feedback. Of course, I took them up on the offer. I was, however, confused about why they would lie to me regarding the timeline of their hiring process. I thought they would have at least considered my candidacy against the other candidates interviewing the next week out... guess that was a lie. Red flag #2. They pride themselves in being transparent about the interview process but this happens. Please don't create false hope in candidates who are genuinely looking for new opportunities if you can't deliver on your words. I received a call from the recruiter to talk through feedback. The only reason they did not move forward with me was that I didn't answer a question the way they wanted me to - meaning, I didn't provide an answer similar to what "X" would have said/done. The recruiter explicitly called out the "X" and said, "Well, for example, 'X' did [this] in the past to help out a candidate, and we were looking for an answer like that." Here we go again with the bias. Who's to say everyone has the same experience as X? Everyone has different experiences and if you can't see or appreciate the unique skillsets others can bring to the table, then you need to reevaluate your hiring process. From the looks of it, it seems they would rather hire someone who has the EXACT SAME experience as people on their team compared to hiring someone who ADDS value to their team with other skillsets. Red flag #3. Since you guys pride yourselves in building diverse teams, why won't you consider the diversity of experiences from others? Please learn how to remove unconscious bias from the hiring process and focus on the diverse skills/experiences another candidate can bring to your team. Unfortunately, it seems as if you're stuck on hiring someone who is an exact clone of the incumbent. I had high hopes for Benchling, but after the interview process, my thoughts have completely changed. The company is doing great, and it seems like a high-growth environment. However, if their interview bias issues bleed into their company values, steer clear. This Recruiting Team is not trying to build a diverse team - they're doing the exact opposite.