The interview process felt deeply inconsistent from start to finish. My initial phone interview with HR was extremely positive and strongly framed as though I was a leading candidate. During the conversation, it was suggested that parts of the normal interview process might be skipped entirely. The remaining delay was described primarily as an internal scheduling and review matter. What makes the experience particularly frustrating is that I never actually met the hiring team, never spoke with anyone beyond HR, and was never given the opportunity to complete the editing test project that had been described as part of the process. Despite this, the rejection email later stated that “the team enjoyed meeting” me, which was confusing considering no actual meeting or evaluation of my abilities ever took place beyond a single HR phone screen. The overall experience felt less like a genuine evaluation process and more like expectations were unintentionally inflated before a decision had actually been made. There is nothing wrong with choosing another candidate, but there is a problem when communication creates the impression that a candidate is far further along in the process than they really are. For a company whose tagline is “Human. On purpose.”, the process felt surprisingly impersonal and disconnected from the actual candidate experience. Advice to Management: Set clearer expectations during early-stage interviews and avoid language that implies advancement before hiring teams have actually evaluated the candidate. Transparent communication and follow-through matter, especially when candidates invest significant time and energy into the process.