I had two telephonic interviews, submitted a writing sample, and there was no follow-up for 6 weeks until they said they went with another candidate. I received no feedback whatsoever. The entire process took too long compared with my experiences at other companies. The only positive was the HR representative that did the initial intake interview.

Job was primarily to be a legal writer about my niche. (But could also include public speaking? And sales, maybe? Or maybe not? Explanation below.) In-house recruiter (very nice guy) cold-called me after seeing my resume online. We hit if off on the phone. He set up an in-person interview with the department director, a senior legal editor, and another legal editor. The phone interviewer had been great, but the in-person interview was handled very poorly by the director and her staff. We apparently had 1 hour (10-11 am, but that end time was never said to be firm). But while I was on time, she and her staff were late and not ready (there had been heavy snow overnight), and we started 10-15 minutes late. The director (with help from her 2 subordinates) then spent 25 minutes vaguely discussing the position, without really saying anything. Even when I asked for job specifics (how much of the job involved public speaking and sales, on top of writing?), I got vague answers. Then I was asked, "So, tell us about you." I have 30 years' experience. Without having been given clarity on what the job entails, I tried to cover all bases. But apparently, that was a bad idea, as all 3 interviewers started looking at their watches as the 1-hour mark approached, and the interview was soon over. I was escorted to the door with some niceties. Next steps would have been producing an original writing sample within a limited time frame, but I was told a few days later that not even that would be necessary. I then asked several times for the courtesy of an explanation as to why I was so roundly rejected. The in-house recruiter said he, too, was puzzled, as he thought that I was one of the best candidates he had ever seen for a job at Thomson, and that he considered me one of the "top 5" interviewees he's ever spoken with. All he could offer was that, "Sometimes, personalities don't match," and that I shouldn't take anything from this rejection. In the end, I really wanted the courtesy of an explanation as to my rejection (I even offered to sign a waiver/release from liability), but all I got from Thomson was the cold shoulder. So, in short, the director conducting the interview never clarified what the job entailed, rejected me (apparently right away, but without saying so), and refused me any explanation for same, even after repeated requests. All in all, not a great place to interview, at least in my (very limited) experience.