In order: Phone interview with recruiter, phone interview with department manager, lengthy homework assignment, phone interview with team member, second phone interview with department manager.

Was told that if I progressed through the rounds, it would be: phone interview with recruiter, phone interview with department manager, homework assignment, on-site interview.

I almost made it on-site, but that was interrupted by two additional phone interviews that caught me off guard. It would have been nice to know ahead of time why the additional phone interviews were necessary prior to them being scheduled, in order to know what to prepare for. I was told a little late that they were substituted for interview time in person because the on-site interview stage was more of a technicality.

At the end of my last interview on the phone, I was told that I'd be informed the very next evening, but I never heard from anyone from the company again and was ghosted. Not receiving an official rejection was extremely surprising, given Udemy's reputation for outstanding company culture and values, and the fact that I was an employee referral.

If this team was built from scratch today, what procedures/processes would I use to determine content quality and control?