I applied on July 28, 2023, and received my first interview invitation very quickly on July 31, 2023, from the hiring manager. The first interview with the manager was online on August 1, 2023. We discussed my MATLAB experience and general work abilities. It was a good conversation, and I felt comfortable talking to the manager, as they seemed experienced and knowledgeable in the field.

In the afternoon, I received an invitation for a second interview, which was a technical interview. I had this interview on August 3, 2023, with another person online. We discussed my technical experience, and I presented some of my research codes.

The next day, I received an HR interview invitation, which I completed on August 11, 2023. So far, everything had gone well. Everyone I spoke with was nice, and the process was smooth and fast.

This HR representative told me to expect the next step the following week. I felt suspended and stressed throughout that week waiting for their response, but it did not come on time. After two weeks since my HR interview, I emailed the hiring manager and HR. They responded that the process was delayed due to some reasons but that I was still under consideration and in the running.

I waited another week and was contacted by another HR representative for another round of HR interviews. I was confused about why two HR interviews were necessary. This HR explained, "Oh, it's just a quick catch-up with the process." I spoke with them on September 1, 2023. They directly outlined the next steps, which involved going to the local office in Stockholm, Sweden, to meet the local team and give a presentation, all on a single day. This made me feel confident that I would be in the final round.

At the end of the interview, they mentioned I could expect a reply very quickly now that the vacation period was over and I wouldn't need to wait any longer. They also stated that there were three candidates, including myself, waiting for the final round and that I would be informed of the final round list by September 4, 2023, at the latest, which was also confusing.

One week passed with no information. I lost count of how many times I emailed this HR representative and the hiring manager that month, inquiring about the process. These two individuals provided conflicting reasons for the delay: one blamed candidate delays, and the other blamed the local team's delays.

I grew tired of asking and waiting for details. After weeks of waiting, I could no longer bear it. On September 26, 2023, I emailed this HR representative again about the process, but received no reply. Instead, I received a direct rejection on September 27, 2023.

To be honest, I am very angry now. It's not just because of the rejection, but primarily due to the recruitment process itself. The entire recruitment team is located in Cambridge and hires for a local team in Stockholm, which seems unusual. The whole process caused unnecessary stress and was a waste of time. It took two months, and the information provided to candidates was inconsistent.

I felt like a cheap product on the market, waiting to be picked up whenever they pleased. The team showed no respect to candidates, despite their polite pretense. I was very interested in this job and spent considerable time preparing. I learned from others that I would need to present my experience to the local team, and the HR representative's reassurances led me to believe I was in the final round. I had prepared a presentation for this purpose a long time ago. This preparation turned out to be a waste of time with no positive outcome.

What I thought was my dream job turned out to be a terrible experience. I prefer not to mention the names of those involved, as it was a painful memory. The two months of stress, four interview rounds, and no further progress were disheartening.

While not being selected for the final round is normal, this team's disrespectful behavior, extreme delays (promising replies within days but delaying for a month without proactive explanations), inconsistent information exchange, and apparent dishonesty about the process made it the worst interview experience I've ever had.

Conclusion: Keep away from this company if you value your mental health. I now require medication to manage my stress. It's no wonder European economies are struggling; HR personnel cannot even perform their jobs responsibly and efficiently, yet they expect candidates to have good conduct. It's quite a joke.

Why do you apply?

What experience do you have?

What is the notice period?

(All other posts have good answers)