Initial interview with HR was great- extremely helpful and friendly. The coordinator sent over a ton of resources to help prepare for the interview, which I did to an exorbitant extent. I fit the job description and had an internal reference from a current employee.
The second interview with the Sales execs was horrendous. While I admit I was nervous, they made absolutely zero effort to help put me at ease: interrupted me during my introduction, displayed judgment for previous products I had represented, focused on dated job responsibilities as if to minimize my ability. One of the interviewers even made a joke about my accent which, in the year of our lord, 2022, is uhhh... an astonishing choice!
The same interviewer displayed contempt for the fact that I had applied to the company "on my own" instead of being selected by H.R. Who am I, Michael Scott? No, I had not been "headhunted" for the position. Is that wrong? It was a clear attempt to devalue me as a candidate. Pretty incredible stuff and a very bizarre contrast from the company's emphasis on empathetic business, core values, etc.
Another weird aspect was that the interviewing "tips" sent over to me from HR did not align with the structure or style of the interview, which was supposed to be a conversational, "get to know each other" vibe. The vibe was more of a "did I accidentally flirt with this woman's husband and now she is seeking revenge," vibe.
Also, one of the tips said to ask for feedback about your interview performance, which I did. The execs responded that, as they had mentioned at the beginning of the interview (!), they were not allowed to give one ounce of feedback due to policy - in fear of influencing decisions. Confusing!
It's possible I just came across a couple of bad apples but was hands down the worst interview I've ever had.