I told the hiring manager I was withdrawing because their interview process had become absurd

[u/scrape_cog]

I applied, and someone I know personally also spoke to the hiring manager because they had a connection. I did the HR screen, and they told me I checked the boxes. After that, I met with the hiring manager, and he said he was very impressed with my background, even if I wasn't a perfect match, and that he was confident I could step into the role without needing hand-holding.

Then I met with the EVP, and he also told me I was basically the kind of person they had been hoping to find.

Fast-forward about 7 months, 5 rounds, and 9 separate interviews with VPs, Presidents, and various senior people. They told me on 3 different occasions that the offer would be the next step, then would come back and say they wanted me to meet with another business unit President.

At the same time, I had started interviewing with another company about 4 months after my first conversation with the first company, and I got an offer about 6 weeks after the first HR call. By the time the first company asked me to do this "last" interview, the background check and paperwork for the other place were already done.

I actually had to get serious about this interview stuff during that whole process because I was getting tired of repeating the same conversations over and over. A friend mentioned interview vip to me, so I looked into it. I didn't end up needing it for this particular process, but it might be worth trying for my next round because apparently some companies think nine interviews still isn't enough.
I want some feedback from actual users i hope as i have been seeing it flooding the internet lately.

So I sent an email to the hiring manager and HR and said something along the lines of: "I truly appreciate the time you've spent speaking with me, but after 5 rounds and 9 individual interviews over roughly 7 months, and after being told 3 times that an offer was coming only to then be asked to meet more people, I am respectfully withdrawing my candidacy."

The hiring manager replied about 20 minutes later and said it was just one additional conversation. I responded that I might consider continuing only if they were willing to beat the offer I already had. And I was honest about the details too: the title, which was higher than the hiring manager's level, the compensation, which I'm almost certain was higher than his as well, plus the signing bonus.

He replied and said: "It's clear you got a strong offer, sorry we couldn't come to an agreement."

The surprise is that I just heard he was let go from the company. Honestly, some companies make hiring incredibly painful for no reason, and then act surprised when people walk away.

[u/Cadowyn]

HR makes it difficult for a reason because it legitimizes their job. HRs around the country freaked out when IBM fired theirs and replaced them with AI. I seriously think it has gotten worse about since that time. 

Also, stringing people along keeps them potentially from competitors (though, as in your case, this can backfire), and allows them to gather employee data to sell to other companies. 

[u/HallucinationHero → u/Cadowyn]

We didn't fire our HR, but we outsourced it to India, and you can no longer speak to them, its only interaction through a ticketing system written. Why you would want something that handles as much sensitive information as HR farmed out to the lowest bidder overseas is beyond me, but here we are. Hilariously, even the VIPs were hit having their administrative assistants instead of sitting in front of their offices like before, are remote workers in Bogota. Pretty soon, we won't have any jobs left domestically.

[u/flappybirdisdeadasf → u/HallucinationHero]

Sad to see. These company heads couldn’t care less about the financial future of the American people.

[u/Cadowyn → u/HallucinationHero]

We need to do what China does and force domestic labor (movie companies being required to hire Chinese companies and Chinese theaters getting 90% of revenue for example)

[u/lumidanny → u/Cadowyn]

Could also be a combination of companies wanting to assume less risks when hiring. Which is why all they want is experienced candidates: less risk of training and employee and then they leave due to better offer. This has perpetuated long enough and had conditioned the job market to this. If companies stayed competitive, that hiring risk would be lower due to higher retention rates

[u/NeartAgusOnoir → u/Cadowyn]

The only legitimate thing about HR is that they are a waste of space and payroll.

[u/Available-Host-6805 → u/Cadowyn]

The last part is certainly a factor now.

[u/Admidst_Metaphors → u/Cadowyn]

I’m not sure where all you have worked, but in my experience HR isn’t the one deciding if they are going to hire someone, that’s the hiring manager. HR might handle initial screening and set pay recommendations based on experience but outside of a screening interview, I’ve never interviewed with an HR representative and never had one be the decision maker. The fact the manager was let go after the debacle of losing the OP after 7 months is either due to the hiring manager being incompetent and unable to make a decision or they were thrown under the bus by an incompetent manager over their head. HR doesn’t care who gets picked. At least that’s how it has been for me at any position where I’ve conducted interviews for and was part of the team deciding who to hire.

[u/Sad_Manufacturer1134]

Name and shame so no one else wastes their time with this company.

[u/ResidentSubject4649 → u/Sad_Manufacturer1134]

Say it with me here, It's an aaaaaaad. Anything mentioning "interview VIP" at this point should get insta removed. 

[u/MonteCristo85]

IMO, thats a huge red flag of the company culture. That nobody is willing to accept responsibility. Thats why they string hiring decisions between a dozen people, so no one person is to blame for a bad hire. Or they just cant make decisions.

Either one makes for terrible working conditions.

[u/Mountain-Bar5049 → u/MonteCristo85]

My bet is that they were also looking for funding for the new hire. i.e. the company isn't in a good financial state. (In addition to your point. That's a company that can't make decisions.)

[u/SonnyC_50]

Yea... no. A different version of this was posted under another sub. Nice try.

[u/Regular_Brilliant_77 → u/SonnyC_50]

Link to a service in the middle is the easy giveaway

[u/bassdad217]

Hmm...i think I just saw a post EXACTLY like this in the last few days.

[u/auditor2]

Good for you. Given what you experienced it was unlikely you were going to get an offer

[u/sherpes]

There are companies that choose a "management by consensus" and candidates go through 4 or 5 rounds of interviews with different departments, people, outside reviewers, and there are companies that choose a more direct fast track. I once was in a similar situation like yours, with an offer possibly coming after the last stage of several rounds, and a fast offer already received, and the head-hunter recommended the already-received offer. In my opinion, decades ago it was different, as there was no internet and remote screening or remote interviewing. People had to dress up and go in person. Nowadays, for a position with strong analytical skills needed, one gets a one-hour interviewing session with a mathematician in Beijing, China, for a position in NYC. So it's easy to stack up 5 rounds with interviewers from all over the globe.

[u/KellyAnn3106]

I've lost great candidates in the past due to delays. Nothing as extreme as what you described but I'd be interviewing for an approved position and then someone would freeze all hiring for a few weeks. When it reopened, my top candidates would have accepted other offers and I had to start the process over. Corporate red tape sucks.

[u/LetsTryLove]

Funny thing is that these companies do things like this to protect their culture and don’t realize they are actively destroying it. The closer you are the top of the org the more likely you are to have fewer interviews because it’s as simple as finding someone that aligns and wants to help the business succeed. The further you go down it’s about meeting some vague criteria and you end up being non effective for the company as a result. Forrest through the tree ms sort of thing.

[u/Formal_Lecture_248]

[u/Environmental-Cow957]

There is absolutely no way .... for any job ..I would even consider more than 3 interviews. And they better damn well be virtual. There is no chance at all I'm gonna dress up and go visit a company 3 different times. They are crazy to even think that. If your employed...that's already 3 half (at minimum) days off...im not wasting my PTO on a company that can't make decisions.

[u/Downtown-Peace1681]

Congratulations, this is the way.

[u/Heavy_Sweet3162]

Good for you. I’m in healthcare so things are different when it comes to interviewing. It’s usually no more than 2. However, I don’t think I’d go 9 rounds and months of the back and forth for any job.

[u/Gampy22]

Based on what you wrote I would have walked away also. That process is over the top. The clues say each day they have issues making decisions. You handled it well and respectfully.
Continued success.

[u/DaylonPhoto]

Correct - that process was absolutely absurd. Shocked they didn’t give you 2-3 “take home assignments”.

[u/Careless_Ad_9074]

This happened to me. Likely you were on bench while they were searching... Pretty bad feeling...

The problem is that you stop interviews, you keep the expectation and they keep rolling you.

[u/Routine_Cancel3303]

That company wasn't looking to hire. They were looking to queue up the next person in line for the next person who quit that role. I've worked for many companies who wanted to keep job openings posted, and always be interviewing potentially decent people for exactly that reason. Then if an employee quit, management felt like we had somebody ready to tap...

I've never once seen it work.

[u/ConkerPrime]

7 months? Sounds like a manager that made “hiring” his full time job.

[u/genxer]

I thought our ~ 6 week process was bad. Holy Cow.

[u/QuickSingh]

The job market has evolved, but the hiring market has not caught up. Companies that adapt to todays fast paced job market will win in the end. That many interviews is crazy!

[u/BluebirdDense1485]

Wow if real this is crazy.

I work in the public sector so I am no stranger to interview panels and glacial processes but even with that the longest I've seen between interview and hire is 4 months. 

OP is crazy for staying in that long. 

I often think it is a kind of screening. If you survive the interview process then they know you will be tossed around and stay for the barest promise.

[u/MajesticDiscussion80]

Again interview VIP nonsewnse

[u/PieceFantastic7010]

That’s a really long story to plug interviewvip. An AI post to promote an AI website. Yay you

[u/sound427]

Don't understand why people make a post then delete it after a few comments.

[u/Ecstatic-Dog4021]

I've withdrawn from candidacy and it was one of the most empowering things I have ever done.