IDEO is a globally known design consultancy with a strong reputation so I was a little surprised by how they handled the interview for a director-level position. The initial interview was generally positive but odd. It was very short and seemed almost exclusively about salary with little context about the role itself. The recruiter was transparent about the budget for the role (appreciated that) but mentioned that the salary range was low for such a senior role even before mentioning the numbers. The range was, in fact, low for a role asking for 15+ years of experience, a long list of responsibilities, and 40% travel so I mentioned I was interested but needed to think about the range over the weekend. (Again, the recruiter was the one who introduced the subject of the range being low.) Unclear if my request to think about it was a deal-breaker or some other factor but was ghosted after that. I'm aware that employers expect potential employees to be enthusiastic about compensation range but, for roles at this level, it shouldn't be surprising that salary range would be a concern particularly when they've quoted a range that is below comparable roles/salaries. Also, it's 2022 and companies that ghost applicants should know by now that it reflects badly on them and their culture.

Nearly a dozen rounds of conversations at varying levels of formality over almost 3 months. Given the highly regarded reputation of the organization, I expected an intense process, but this was a bit excessive. That said, I really enjoyed the conversations and they have some great thinkers on staff. Ultimately, I was given an offer, but it was 20% below my current salary. When I tried to negotiate, they more or less said, you'll get to put IDEO on your resume.