The interview process at HubSpot was lengthy and slow-moving, with several areas that could benefit from improvement, particularly from a candidate experience and leadership hiring perspective. The hiring manager round was limited to 30 minutes, which felt insufficient for a leadership level role. That amount of time does not allow for a meaningful discussion around experience, leadership philosophy or strategic alignment. The subsequent three interview rounds were fairly standard, each also 30 minutes, covering different aspects of the role. The process then included a case study presentation to a panel, which required significant preparation and thoughtful effort. The presentation was very well received, with positive feedback on the ideas and proposed strategies. Following the panel presentation, there was a period of complete silence for over two weeks, despite follow-ups. Eventually, after reaching out directly to the hiring manager, a brief response came from the recruiter citing time-off, still without any feedback. The role was filled internally by expanding the scope of an existing leader’s responsibilities from EMEA to also include APAC. While this decision is understandable from a cost perspective, it raises concerns about the lack of clarity around hiring strategy earlier in the process, especially given the time and effort candidates invest in preparing detailed case studies. Additionally, the communication throughout the final stages felt unprofessional and fell short of the standard expected from a company of this scale. Improving transparency, decision making alignment and candidate communication would significantly enhance the overall interview experience.