I had 2 interviews over the phone and was invited for a face-to-face interview at Darmstadt. I did a presentation to the team about my work as well as a data processing task that lasted approximately 3 hrs. Since I am not purely from data science background, I think I did fairly well in the task. I was not offered the position.
I must point out my interviewers were polite and appeared to be really nice people. But my greatest disappointment was from the response email from the company. They sent a rejection letter I personally considered insulting: "Unfortunately we have to deliver some bad news". I said to myself, "who told you it's a bad news". Even if this was from the hypothetical top players in the field, I would not throw a celebration or pity party, talk-less of a not 'non-league' side. I would say that the company have the '9th' organisational gift: the gift of interpretation of job application outcome. And my command to you is: thou shalt not interpret. Your task is to inform the outcome and not interpret. You should know this: that destinies are not tied to employers/employees that left. Yes, at times it does not work or works.
I see a mentality and mindset among employers of : "you must be happy we offered you this job", or "your life depends on this job". Listen, that is not true. Hiring is based on merit, and not mercy. The very fact that a candidate attended an interview shows it is based on merit.
So another time you are about to send out interview decision, 'bin' your garment of sentiments and emotions and be clothed with professionalism.