I rarely leave negative reviews, but after my experience with Circana’s recruitment process, I feel it’s important to share. I progressed through five interview stages over several weeks: an initial talent screen, a formal interview with the Talent Acquisition Lead, an interview with two Vice Presidents, and a final interview with two HR leaders. Throughout the process, I consistently received extremely positive feedback and was told I was performing very well. Following the final interview, I heard nothing. Ghosted. More than four weeks have now passed without any outcome, update, or courtesy of a response, despite following up. Being completely ghosted after investing so much time and energy is incredibly disappointing. What makes this particularly surprising is that, during my final interview, there was significant discussion about the importance of candidate experience and treating candidates with respect. Unfortunately, my experience reflected the opposite. Recruitment is often the first real insight candidates have into an organisation’s culture and values. Regardless of whether the outcome is a yes or a no, candidates deserve timely communication and closure, especially after completing five interview rounds! This experience has left a lasting impression, and unfortunately, not in a positive way. It’s disappointing because I genuinely believed Circana was a business that valued people. I hope this feedback encourages the organisation to reflect on its recruitment process, as strong candidates are evaluating companies just as much as companies are evaluating candidates.