The process was supposed to be 4 stages: initial screening with internal recruiter, then competency interview with the hiring manager, then a panel with the wider team, then a final interview with the head of department. What actually happened: recruiter interview, then the hiring manager wasn't available for a week or two (despite this apparently needing to fill the role urgently) so instead I was put on a call with the head of department (this was supposed to be the final stage). This person began the interview by saying "I haven't done this role myself so I won't be able to answer many questions you may have about it", great start. They then asked me questions via the STAR method in a very rigid fashion: there was no opportunity to expand on stories or delve into details, it was literally "tell me about a time when" and then "ok. next question, tell me a about a time when..." and repeat. Ultimately, it was a horrible interview with somebody who seemed very uninterested in speaking with me, or who was generally unfamiliar with how to politely chat with other humans. I was told the role was filled internally. Feel like I dodged a bullet especially as I've since learned of mass layoffs at the company.

The overall interview process was structured, detailed, and clear as to what each stage was. The internal recruiter was very clear in what each stage would look like, however they were not timely as an organisation to come back in appropriate timelines and poor feedback