The HR representative reached out to me quickly after I applied, thanking me for my prompt response to schedule a screening interview. During the interview, I was asked standard questions, but one stood out: "How do you feel about reporting to people senior to you?" I responded that I had no issue with it, as project management often requires shifting between leadership and support roles depending on the project’s needs.
I was invited to interview with the hiring managers, but before that, HR asked me to complete a written assignment. Interestingly, the same question about reporting to senior leaders appeared again. At first, I thought it might be a coincidence, but when I was asked the same question a third time during the panel interview—with two hiring managers and the HR representative present—it raised a red flag. This suggested there might be an internal concern or potential power dynamic issue within the organization. In project management, leadership ebbs and flows—it's a servant leadership field—so the repeated focus on hierarchy was unusual.
Another unique aspect of the process was the HR representative sitting in on the hiring managers' interview. While uncommon in my experience, it was interesting to observe. At the end of the one-hour interview, the HR person informed me they would be my primary point of contact moving forward.
After the interview, I promptly sent a thank-you email to HR to share with the hiring managers. A week later, I followed up for an update but received no response. Three days later, I sent another follow-up email—again, no reply. Nearly two weeks after the interview, I finally received a generic rejection email.
While I understand that not every interview results in an offer, what stood out in this process was the lack of communication after the interview. Since HR had specifically stated they would be my point of contact, a simple update—such as "No decisions have been made yet"—would have been professional and appreciated. Given that I had responded promptly at every stage, it would have been courteous to receive the same level of professionalism in return. Unfortunately, Nusenda’s interview process lacked transparency and communication.