The first stage involved an informal chat with a talent partner at ZOE followed by a conversation with the team leaders for the role. I was then asked to present a task in the final interview to the head of science and the team leader for the role.

I was emailed by a member of the talent acquisition team. They emailed saying I was a "very good fit" for the role I applied for. They set up an initial meeting over video call. Video call was positive. They then suggested that there were two additional phases. I would be given an assessment and then one final interview after the assessment.. They were offering a very low salary below <£35. I was emailed the following week after the first meeting saying after consulting with their hiring manager they decided I was not a good fit for the role. I am a final year PhD student. I have published 6 papers with 4 in top Academics Nutrition Journals and 2 top Academic Plant Journals. I am not sure how I was not a good fit for the role. I am not sure how they will expect anyone with more experience to accept this role with the low £30k salary while expecting to carry out publication quality research and research roles.