I had one phone interview with the Head of People and was immediately sent an assignment to complete within 3 days. This was a multi-part exercise to understand and improve their recruiting process. This included: - analyzing the large amount of raw candidate data they sent - doing calculations and creating multiple (6) charts to summarize the findings - identifying key metrics and providing suggestions for their current/recent open roles based on provided ATS data - insights for their 2023 headcount - 1-page summary of our findings, how this measures against competitors in similar markets, and the next steps you would take to improve their current recruiting strategy All in all, this was perhaps the lengthiest exercise I've done for any company. It was essentially a free consultation and recommendations on how to improve their current and future recruiting strategy. I had a follow-up interview with the same Head of People to present the assignment, however, that individual was not available so I was instead scheduled to meet with someone on the engineering side. The day before the interview I received an email saying the role was canceled and they were no longer interviewing for the position. While I understand things can change quickly, getting a generic email response - especially after you have spent hours on the assignment - was very upsetting. As a fellow recruiter, I understand how time-intensive interviewing can be for both parties. If a candidate has spent hours of their time either speaking with your team or doing an assignment you should at minimum give them a phone call to share the news or send a personalized email with specific feedback. A good candidate experience is the easiest way to stand out from your competitors. Your goal should be to leave your candidates with a positive view of your company no matter the outcome.