The process took a really long time. I think I went through five or six video interviews with different staff and managers before finally making it to the in-person interview. All of the video interviews went well, and I really enjoyed talking to those employees (who would actually be my remote colleagues on my team). However, there was one person who kept having to reschedule, so a different staff member would fill in at the last minute each time. It felt like I wasn't a priority - this person was apparently so important that he couldn't take 30 minutes out of his day for a video call.
Then, when I got to the final in-person interview, I was told I'd be meeting with three people - the three I'd be working with most closely. When I arrived, it was actually THE ENTIRE STAFF! It felt like being lined up in front of a firing squad, and it was pretty clear that a couple of people decided they didn't like me right away. I was asked questions that had nothing to do with my prospective position, and it seemed like the staff were either purposely trying to trip me up and/or they had zero experience interviewing people and had googled "interview questions" at the last minute. It definitely didn't feel like they were making an earnest attempt to get to know me. Also, having that many people in an interview is incredibly ineffective. Everyone wanted to ask me their questions, and I had little time to ask questions of my own. When I finally did, one employee cut me off, saying something dismissive like, "we don't have time for everyone to respond to your questions." This wasn't my intent; I'd just ask a question and then every single staff member wanted to respond.
One employee, in particular, vocally disagreed with everything I said and more or less glared at me the entire time. He kept calling himself a software engineer and acting like he was basically Steve Jobs, but I later found out he had a social science degree just like mine and he'd just recently gone through this program. Regardless, he let me know he was superior every single chance he got.
These people strung me along for weeks with hurdle after hurdle, even going so far as to call my references, and then they finally told me I wasn't a good fit for the position. It's really stuck with me, and I definitely think people should be aware of what to expect before going in. They totally ignored the fact that an interview is supposed to go two ways; they're not just interviewing me - I'm also interviewing them to decide if it's a good environment. All in all, I'm glad it happened because I definitely wouldn't want to work with them. Horrible experience!
Leave the interviews to people who know how to conduct interviews, and don't treat potential candidates like adversaries. Ridiculous. Worst interview experience I've ever had!
