My application was selected for a first-round interview. The interview was pretty straightforward, discussing career history and some hypothetical "how would you handle [situation]" or "how would you tackle [project]" questions. This part of the Q&A was recorded, so that it could be reviewed later by other managers (who, for some reason, are too busy to attend the actual interview?).
I was told during this interview that everything was looking really great, my skills and experience were a great match, and I was getting a "thumbs up" from my interviewer with the recommendation to move forward. I was told that I would hear back from another person the following week with next steps (this initial interview was on a Friday). I was even given the two names of the engineering managers that I would meet with during my next interview.
Exciting!
Except that I didn't hear back from anybody the following week. I waited until Thursday to send an email follow-up to check in.
The following day, I received an automated rejection email and accompanying survey link to tell them how they did...