I recently completed a four-stage interview process with Champion Petfoods. The process was tedious and time-consuming, involving: An initial interview with HR A second round with the manager and a team representative A third round with the manager and supervisor (which largely repeated the second round, just with variations of the same questions) A final team interview After investing considerable time and energy into this process, I was informed I wasn’t selected—but received no feedback whatsoever. I found this lack of communication not only disappointing but unprofessional, especially after such a drawn-out series of interviews. Feedback is a basic courtesy, particularly when a candidate has dedicated several hours to a multi-step process. Without it, the experience feels one-sided and transactional—like being strung along without real consideration. To put it bluntly, it felt as though I was being toyed with, much like a cat plays with its food before eating it. I share this not out of bitterness, but in the hope that more companies will begin to recognize the value of transparency, candidate experience, and respectful communication.