I went through a long and thorough recruitment process for a role in Europe, having been headhunted for the position. After investing over 10 hours, including 7 hours of interviews with various leadership members and preparing a detailed case study, I received a generic rejection email. This was disappointing, particularly after accommodating late-night interviews (10-11pm Europe time) to fit PST schedules. Given the time and effort I dedicated, I expected a more personal response—at least a brief call to explain why they wouldn’t be moving forward, along with proper feedback, rather than the standard “we found a better fit” message. While that may be true, offering candidates meaningful feedback is simply good practice. The way a company manages its recruitment process reflects how they treat their people.