I initially couldn't fathom the volume of Shopify interview candidates (particularly in the last 6 months) who had been ghosted after kicking off (and many completing the process), but I can now add myself to the list. A recruiter reached out 1 week after I applied, and scheduled the Life Story for a few days later. The conversation wasn't structured, but there were organic opportunities to discuss some of the learnings and accomplishments I was particularly proud of, and we discussed the team first, merchant first mentality that gave me the impression the company was very values aligned. The recruiter mentioned that she would send the base salary and comp information that night to make sure we were on the same page, and then follow up on scheduling an extended interview with the hiring manager and any other potential stakeholders after that. This was 2 weeks ago, and 2 follow up emails later. The job posting has since been removed. I feel terrible for the candidates who have spent weeks or months and 30+ hours of preparation and interviewing only to experience this type of ghosting. It doesn't just create a bad experience and ripple effect through word of mouth, it makes it feel like the team first, merchant first, "we have such an understanding, inclusive culture" taglines are BS. The recruiter herself has only been in her role for a few months, and didn't feel deeply knowledgable or qualified to be gatekeeping the interview process for such a visible team. Overall unfortunate experience, and I hope for future candidates sake that the recruiting process becomes more empathetic and streamlined.