I interviewed for a UX designer position in December of 2019. Over the course of a few weeks, I went through 3 rounds of interviews. 2 over the phone and one final one in person with the team.
The entire experience of interviewing was wonderful. Form beginning to end the process was efficient and transparent. I was really impressed with my HR manager, the team I was interviewing with, and the office as a whole. I was excited to hear back about the position and could see myself working there for a long time.
My HR manager called me a week after the final interview to tell me that someone else had accepted an offer for the same position I had been interviewing for - the same day of my final interview. This was disheartening but also strange. I had never heard of this happening before. My HR representative told me that the team was just as surprised, yet wanted to work with me on other projects in a contract role, which I was also excited about. It was heavily implied that, if things went well, there would be "plenty of work for me" down the road - as their team was looking to take on 4-6 new designers in 2020.
It has been over a month now and I have yet to establish any projects or contract work with the team. Replies are few and far between, and my excitement to work with the team - or even envision myself there long term - has been slowly and painfully gutted. The potential to work with them, which I originally viewed as a rare circumstance, has been reduced to nothing more than a consolation prize with bells and whistles. One that doesn't make any noise at all.
If you get the opportunity to work with the team full-time, I applaud and champion you. But I cannot recommend you try any other professional relationship with these people.