One of the most confusing and disorganized interview processes I’ve ever experienced.
I first interviewed for this Director role at Cortland in 2023. After multiple rounds—including a personality and critical thinking assessment—I was told they were putting the role on hold to hire a VP, who would participate in selecting the Director. I was told to expect an update in 4–6 weeks. I followed up. No response.
In January 2025, the same role was reposted. I reapplied and reached out to my original contacts, who said the VP was hired but was now retiring. Despite not having filled the role in 2023, they were eager to “reignite” conversations and fast-track the process.
I had catch-up calls with the same recruiter and senior leader from 2023, followed by conversations with the outgoing VP and the hiring manager (a Senior Director). These weren’t interviews—they were info dumps. The VP seemed to think of it as a social call. The hiring manager asked me one question (who I’d spoken with), then launched into a monologue about her frustrations with the communications function. She apologized mid-call for “dumping” on me. No questions about my background. No clarity on what she was looking for, other than visible stress about a community crisis.
Next, I was invited onsite for a three-hour interview loop with four people—two of whom I’d already met. Across all four conversations, I was asked maybe five relevant questions. One interviewer talked at me for over an hour, mostly about company dynamics, then cut off the one question he asked to keep going. Another was the CHRO, whose only question was whether I was a team of one. Then he said, “What questions do you have for me?” I spent the rest of the time interviewing him. The final conversation, again with the hiring manager, involved more mouse-jiggling than engagement. When I asked what she was looking for in this hire, she said simply: “A lieutenant.” That told me everything I needed to know—they weren’t looking for a leader or strategic partner.
After being told they’d move quickly, I heard nothing for over a month. I followed up with the recruiter—no reply. I contacted the senior leader, who responded with a long-winded summary of their “journey” and a “good luck in your career” sign-off. As of writing this, the role is still posted and my application status says “under review.”
This was a laughable waste of time. The process lacked structure, transparency, and basic professionalism. For communications professionals: be aware that this team seems more interested in talking at candidates than actually hiring one.