My initial interaction with the recruiter was positive, prompting me to continue with the interview process. However, I felt like things took a downturn from the second stage onwards. There were several instances of miscommunication regarding my second interview stage, which I had to clarify repeatedly to understand who I would be meeting. Despite receiving conflicting information through automated email templates, the stakeholders I eventually met were pleasant, and the conversation felt genuine. Moving on to the next round, I was asked to complete a home assessment, essentially an unpaid case study for Travelperk. While I understand the importance of thorough evaluation, this assessment felt over the top. The final interview, where I presented my assessment, was disappointing due to lack of human-centric approach: It lacked the warmth and engagement one would expect after investing three full days of research and preparation. Additionally, the minimal interaction with potential manager, coupled with almost zero non-verbal communication during 40 minute presentation made it feel impersonal and transactional from a candidate perspective. After two weeks of waiting, the feedback I received was another disappointment—not for the outcome itself, but for the reasoning behind their decision. Their explanation referenced criteria that was never part of the actual assessment. Initially, I included more slides covering additional areas, but due to the tight time limit, I had to deprioritize these and focus on the specific areas they asked for in the assessment. Consequently, their feedback, which criticized the absence of those very areas, was neither actionable nor constructive. In my previous experiences with other companies, such topics would have been addressed directly within the assessment itself. In conclusion, sadly this candidate experience made me feel taken advantage of. It's unreasonable to expect candidates to invest three days of work without offering anything in return. This lack of reciprocity, where candidates invest significant time and effort into tasks, only to be told their efforts are not sufficient because they wanted something outside of the assignment, raises concerns about the overall experience employees can expect once they are onboarded.