Was contacted by a outside recruiter. The job sounded interesting. They wanted to move directly to in-person interviews. I said I really wanted to do a phone screen first and was told they don't do that. So I agreed to move directly to in-person interview. I was very clear with the recruiter that I did not want to participate in any "panel" interviews during any first round of interviews and that I would be glad at this stage to meet with as many persons as they wished but that it would have to be on a one to one basis. So I should up for the interviews and the very first was a panel interview with five "VPs". I was rather angry but contained those feelings and proceeded with the interview. I was astonished at the lack of relevance of the questions I was asked by such senior managers to a candidate for a senior position. It was highy dis-organized. During the interview I could hear an argument going on in the adjacent conference room and it seems to be getting pretty nasty. Now you would thing that the CIO, the most senior guy to be conducting my interview would care about how all this would seem to a candidate but he didn't raise an eyebrow about it. After two very ackward hours this interview ended. I was ready to bail. But they wanted me to meet with "a few more of the lads". Well it turned out to be another panel interview, this time with four guys that report to the un-lucky person to take this job. Again I painted a smile on my face for another two hours. One the most painful and pointless interviews I've ever had. Aside from the fact that I was blind sided by the first panel interview, which I specifically said I did not want to do. The questions were among the dumbest I've ever been asked in my 18 years as a senior IT executive. And then on top of that, being subject to another panel interview with staff that was never mentioned in the first place. I could not drive away from the place fast enough. I was blow away when they made an offer.