I was in the running for a different position maybe six months prior which I wasn't selected for (2 remote interviews, 1 in person, and an online personality assessment). The experience was positive. They were friendly and told me they'd keep me in mind for future opportunities. Months later, I was reached out to to apply for another position that had opened up. I applied online and went through another phone interview and an in-person interview. These went well. I sent a follow up note to thank them for taking the time. After that, I was asked to put together a sample project which I spent a few hours on and sent in. They then reached out to me asking for references which I provided. My references called me later to say they had spoken with them and everything went well. After that... Nothing. I tried following up with them twice just to confirm the position had been filled by someone else so I could close the book on it but they would not respond to me. After meeting with them five times, spending hours on their project, and having them take up my references' time, a simple "no" would have been the decent thing to do if they felt I wasn't a good fit. The culture they claim to have (inclusivity, openness) doesn't reflect in the way they treat actual applicants. If they ever read this: please respond to people after you've taken so much of their time. We're trying to plan our lives and careers and this behavior is disrespectful of that. It takes all of 2 minutes to send an email.