Interviewing at HiBob was a case study in irony. You’d expect more self-awareness from a company that sells HR solutions, but instead, I was met with vague feedback, laughable standards, and an apparent allergy to professionalism. After Several rounds of polished, corporate-style interviews—which I mirrored, of course—I was told by a Hiring manager that I came across as “too traditional” and was advised to reapply once I’d developed A more casual tone. Naturally, this wasn’t about my experience or qualifications. It was about tOne. A sales manager, who openly admitted she couldn’t coach me through something as basic as communicatioN style, decided I wasn’t a fit. The email to set up the final call was titled “Next Steps,” which implied forward movement. Instead, I was met with a surprise rejection cloaked in vague, patronizing feedback. A simple “we’re moving in another direction” would’ve sufficed. Instead, I got corporate theater dressed up as feedback. I’ve built a career closing deals with senior HR stakeholders, yet somehow, HiBob found my communication style too… competent? For a company that markets itself as people-centric, they sure do put effort into gatekeeping candidates through arbitrary and culturally narrow expectations. Casual translation: Be less experienced, less articulate, and easier to manage. Oh—and don’t expect leadership to actually lead. Bonus: Orthographic steganography will tell you what you needed to know.