I received an email for the phone interview about 3 weeks after applying. The interview was half a hour and it focused more on my background and why I think I am a good fit for the position.

I had a single interview with a recruiter, who spent the conversation going through roughly ten topics related to my background, resume, and the requirements of the position. I was able to ask questions and received clear answers, and I was told that the next stage would be a panel interview expected to take place within 1–2 weeks. Unfortunately, I never heard back from RTI International after that conversation. There was no follow-up, no update, and no closure—despite the senior level of the position. For a research-focused organization, this lack of communication felt unprofessional and disrespectful of a candidate’s time.

A recruiter reached out to me for the position about a month after applying. It was an initial phone screen where I was asked about my skills, experiences, and interests for working at RTI. I was also asked to submit a coding sample. Fair enough. I was then informed that I'd hear back soon regarding the next steps. Nearly a month later, they reached back via email and asked me further questions about my technical skills. It was surprising to me as I reached out to them with several emails regarding an update, only for them to send this email and not answer my other questions in my previous emails. I answered their questions nonetheless and was told I'd hear back soon. I received another email about 9 days later asking me to complete a coding challenge and to submit by a certain date. This was shocking to me as I already submitted a code sample to them, but now I was requested to complete a take-home assignment. This was also during the holidays, towards the end of the year, mind you. I completed and turned in the assignment and was told I'd hear back soon. I have yet to hear back from them, and I'm entering month 3 of this interview.