This was by far the worst interview experience of my career. Throughout the process, I interviewed very well and consistently checked every box they were looking for. I have the background, experience, and even provided professional references who spoke very highly of me. Every conversation leading up to the final interview went smoothly and reinforced that I was a strong fit for the role. Unfortunately, everything changed once I reached the final stage with the CEO, Seth. He immediately mentioned the base was 15K less than what was listed on the initial job description. He came across as unpleasant, dismissive, and frankly a walking red flag for the organization. Despite being fully aware that I had made it that far because of my strong performance in every prior interview, his demeanor was unprofessional and unwelcoming. What made matters worse was Phaxis’ questionable hiring practices. Even though I had already provided professional references—whom they contacted and received glowing feedback from—the CEO still chose to pursue “backdoor references” without my knowledge or consent. He even had another Account Executive reach out to people at my previous company who I did not list as references. I was told they received negative feedback from someone I never authorized them to contact, and as a result, my offer was rescinded. This was an incredibly frustrating and disappointing experience after investing so much time and effort into their process. It speaks volumes about the company’s culture and leadership. If you’re considering interviewing here, I strongly recommend saving yourself the time, energy, and peace of mind. Even if you provide professional references who support you, they will go out of their way to dig behind your back for information and base their hiring decisions on that. Stay far away from this company—the interview practices are sketchy, and the leadership is a reflection of that.