To think 8 interviews is just excessive

[BubblinTrouble]

Hi everyone

I’m currently interviewing for a role and I’ve had the following interviews already:

HR, hiring manager, peer meeting, technical exercise, call to discuss technical exercise, interview with an additional stakeholder, meeting with head of international team, meeting with head of North America.

This was supposedly the last stage but had an email Friday indicating that they want me to do a final, final interview with the head of the entire global team.

Am I being unreasonable to think this is just excessive. Do I sit through it and attend this final interview. Should I say something to HR? Is this a sign of the culture and they’re unable to make decisions quickly, or am I overthinking?

It is for a fairly senior role - not c suite or exec level for context.

That's ridiculous. Alarm bells would be going off for me. Jump monkey jump.

Would it be disastrous if you withdrew from the process? Excessive, seems to me either a load of indecisive people, or a lengthy exercise with someone in mind designed to avoid any challenge of unfairness.

Sounds a lot to me. Seems a bit pointless to not do it at this late stage. Not suggesting that you would.

I guess it does reach a point though. I had 3 stages to my last interview but they were at least on the same day.

I would say that they’re unsure about you and whether you’re the right fit.

Seems a lot, but for me would be dependant on the role/responsibilities/salary etc.

They feel it’s worth all of that, it’s whether you think it is and how much you want it.

What were your thoughts on the people you met?

Liked pretty much everyone up until the last interview. The last person I met, I got a weird feeling about. Nothing wrong we just didn’t gel as well as the others before that.

Sounds insane.

Having put the effort in for 7 stages already I would go ahead with the 8th!! (Concorde principle and all that...)

But I would be factoring in to my decision to accept if I were to be offered the job.

That said...recruitment process and the job can be very different things esp in big orgs. Best barometer I think would be the people you've met during the process that you will be working closely with. Because in my experience your boss can make a job brilliant or hell.

Is it an investment bank? 9 interviews seems to be standard now for even admin roles….Madness, to be honest.

I’m on my fourth interview for a PA position next week. I thought that was bad enough and I’m losing the will to live.

Eight???? You are definitely not being unreasonable!

This additional interview may be because of this. The Global head may want to make a final decision if you passed every hurdle but the Head of NA is unsure about you.

Depends entirely on the industry and nature of the role. I don’t think this is too excessive as there is a purpose to each of them (across function and geographies etc) and it’s a chance for you to see everyone is singing from same hymn sheet.
I would trust you’re a final 2 candidate at this time, or even the preferred candidate as global head will need to sign-off.
I would not mention this to HR until I’d got the job signed and done (and even then only in the context of it might’ve been helpful if interviews had been grouped or panels).
Good luck!

I’ve just been offered a role that had four stages. It felt excessive before I went through it, but it was a pleasant process and nice to meet so many different people in the wider team. But it’s easy to say it was ok, when it ended up with an offer I was pleased with. I’d have been gutted to be unsuccessful after being so invested and spending so much time on the process!

What salary level are you talking about, is it similar to both the role and salary you are on now, and is it a particularly sensitive type role despite not being c suite? Unless well into 6 figures, different to current role and/or a sensitive type role (eg head of branding or similar) I'd be telling them to stick it

It does seem excessive but I once had an interview for a relatively senior role for an Ed tech company (not c suite) and it seemed very similar to these titles. They’ve probably got a small amount of candidates and they want to be 💯 sure of fit. I would keep going!

Exactly same role I do right now
£130k base salary
Not an investment bank for those asking
Technology based company

I had 5 interviews for my current position and it seemed excessive, but fairly standard in financial services. Keep going OP and good luck.

Its def excessive and the red flag is two fold

1.its too many
2.the process is changing as it goes

Big tech does lots of rounds but the interviews are lumped and you do 4 in 1... so really its

• recruiter (which is a cv chat and interview prep so no big deal)
• 30 min interviews x 4
• a final interview/ presentation.

The process is longish but clear.

This is a moving feast and speaks to internal structure

Id do the last interview but id be asking probing questions to them too

DH had 7 interviews for his job, including a load of psychometric testing. We found out why when he was promoted from a regional to a global role only 3 months after joining - that was the post they were really recruiting for and wanted to get him lined up to step in when the incumbent retired.

Also a US corporation, so maybe take it as a good sign.

It's absolutely ridiculous.

I had 4 for my current position and still think it was ridiculous. It should have been 2 max, 3 at an absolute stretch.

Last time I was in between jobs was in 2018, so pre-COVID. 2 or 3 interview rounds were the norm and I thought 3 rounds was bad enough.

Is 8 or 9 rounds a post-COVID thing?

Do applicants know that it will be an 8 or 9 interviews when they're filling in the job application? If applicants aren't being informed of this, then talk about "bait and switch". Devious and dishonest of HR / recruitment.

You've got this far in the process, I would continue to the final interview. If after the 'final' interview, another one is requested, then it's time to step off the crazy roundabout! Personally, I think 8 interviews is absolutely ridiculous, and I'd wonder why they want so many.

I had 6 including an agency for my current role, and have now accepted a new role with 3. Current role didn't work out and in retrospect a lot of red flags at interview stage. I'm wary of people making it up as they go along and also organisations which are very HR dominated. New one shows no evidence of either so I'm hopeful. Both are mid sized not for profits household names and senior roles

So yes, 7 is excessive.

I’d withdraw. It’s ridiculous. They’re going to be like this with everything. Every decision will be by committee, everything will take 4 times as long as it needs to, red tape everywhere….. life’s too short for that shit