I applied online and was contacted a couple of weeks after for a phone screen. The phone screen was pretty standard and I was asked to describe myself and my career goals, why I was interested in the role and company, etc. Recruiter was a few minutes late to the call. For whatever reason, I did not seem to vibe with him. He was responsive to my questions and told me he would contact me by a specific date and time to tell me if there were any next steps in the process. However, the day when he was supposed to contact me came and went. I followed up via email and received no response. I do know that this particular recruiter recruits for other positions and is very good at following up with people he wants to. While I understand that it's natural to be more prompt and responsive to candidates you like and feel are strong, I also feel that every candidate deserves equal respect. Even if I am not a strong candidate for the role, I would at least expect to receive a canned email telling me that you've decided to pursue other candidates. Like, if you tell me to expect follow up by a certain date, I expect that you would follow up by that date and time. Difficult conversations and rejection are part and parcel of recruiting. Hoping I'll get the hint by your lack of response isn't what I'd call professional. Cruise seems like an awesome place with great benefits and a lot of talent around but it seems that their candidate experience is neither polished nor personal. Just writing this as a heads up for all of those candidates who aren't their dream hire or unicorn... you may find yourself ghosted. Honestly, at the end of the day, it comes down to respect. I did not feel like my time was respected in this process. Now imagine what would've happened if they discovered I wasn't the one at the onsite interview stage? I'd rather not.