It started a little weird. I applied online, and didn't receive any confirmation email that I'd done so. I then directly emailed a few of the stakeholders, and one got back to me saying that HR had emailed me to set up an interview.
I didn't get that email, but was able to find the recruiter on Linkedin and after messaging her directly there, we set up a time to chat (and confirmed that there was a typo somewhere in the email address they had for me).
I was introduced to another member of the Talent team, but didn't receive any messaging from her. A third talent rep joined the party, whom I think was covering some of the scheduling for the second one.
After a phone screening, I quickly met with the hiring manager, who let me know that the team was putting together a practical work exercise and that it might be a little while until it's ready for me to take the next steps. I reached out after a couple weeks, and the original recruiter quickly updated me with some behind-the-scenes changes.
By that time, I was advancing in interviews at a couple other companies and the recruiter worked to expedite the process at BioRender, and within the next couple of days I met with the hiring manager again as well as a VP. Ultimately I didn't get an offer. But there were a few things that really stood out with the interview process.
1. The initial miscommunication, due to some kind of tech glitch or transcription error
2. I wasn't actually sure who my main point of contact was at any given time.
3. Despite the process gaps, the HR rep, Jess, took ownership of the situation and did everything possible to smooth things over, coordinate with internally-shifting priorities and stakeholders, and kept me informed about next steps.
4. In advance of the interview, they also provided an overview of the specific discussion topics. This made preparation way easier, and took out a lot of the guesswork.
5. They also offered an Uber Eats voucher for the day of the interview! I didn't actually receive the voucher, but still.
6. After getting rejected, they responded to my request for feedback. Not just the vague "skills and experience," but they called out specific areas that led to their decision. That tells me that internally, as a company, they value feedback, as well as the people they interact with.
Overall my impression is that there's some internal process issues, but they have a fantastic team of people who care, and are actively working to improve things. I felt I was treated as a person, not as a lead, and that I had an opportunity to demonstrate my qualifications and match for the role (which I evidently failed to do, but that was on me, not them). Really couldn't ask for more.
