I read previous negative reviews but did not want to believe them. I should have listened.
First, I had a very pleasant call with the recruiter and was advanced to the next stage with the hiring manager and a “peer.” (Red flag: peer interviews can be beneficial when conducted at the right time - I.e. near the *end* of the process as a final culture/‘can I work with this person’ check. Having a peer present in the beginning to grill someone who may have more experience than they do, or who could be seen as their competition one day, is not the best approach.)
Second, the whole vibe of the call was interrogatory, condescending and hostile. Some questions were completely irrelevant and, if not answered exactly as they wanted, one of the interviewers grew frustrated.
It didn’t take long to see that the questions revealed more about the person asking them than they did about my accomplishments or credentials. Face it, some people should not be on an interview panel.
After the call, I withdrew myself from their process and focused on the better opportunities I had scheduled. Shortly thereafter, I received an offer from another company in a higher level role. I am very happy I chose to withdraw.