I submitted my resume in December for the Front Office Coordinator role for the Redondo Beach location. Over the course of four weeks, I participated in four distinct interviews: a phone screening, a virtual interview with two team members, an in-person meeting, and finally, a virtual session with the decision-maker. This extensive process was just for a front office position which I found excessive for such a role.
In the fourth and final interview, the interviewer logged on 15 minutes late, keeping me waiting to the point that I thought she was a no-show, citing that she didn’t know the current time (not a good sign!). Due to her tardiness, my scheduled interview had to be cut short. She expressed her preference to meet candidates during this final stage to assess their suitability; however, she also mentioned that she does not work at the office and only visits once a month. Making a virtual decision regarding a candidate without daily interaction is ultimately counterproductive. She asked me where I see myself in five years. This question just seemed silly in that context, considering she wasn’t even aware what time of day it was but yet she wanted me to envision so far out into the future.
During the course of these four interviews, I received conflicting explanations from one interviewer to the next - about the start date, the nature of the position, and the time frame for training. Nobody was on the same page.
My experience with multiple rounds of interviews with this company showed a lack of clarity in their hiring needs. After that many interviews, I felt like I should have been compensated for my time.
Seriously, what on earth are you looking for that one interview won’t cover for a front office position?
Going through the same questions in multiple interviews felt like a total waste for everyone. The classic “Tell me about yourself” question got old fast. I was drained from having to say the same stuff repeatedly. It was frustrating to be asked about my EMR experience in four different interviews when it’s clearly listed on my resume, and I had already answered it for everyone at every stage. It just seemed pointless.
While I am not upset by my non-selection for the position, I am frustrated with the lengthy interview process that ultimately led to rejection. If the interviewers thought I was overqualified, I can’t help but wonder why they even invited me to go through such a lengthy interview process. It makes me think that maybe the first interviewers didn’t share their impressions with each other.
My advice to this company:
Cut down on those lengthy interview processes; you're just burning through valuable time. If it takes four interviews to decide on a candidate, it means you haven't nailed down what you're really looking for. After just one interview, you should have a clear idea of who fits the bill. Passing the decision up the chain only to have it come back down is counterproductive. Eliminate the initial “screening” interview call altogether; it is pointless and takes up time. The resume itself should be enough to screen a candidate and decide if you want to move forward with an actual interview. Telling a candidate if they “pass” the screening, they will move onto the next stage, but nothing significant is taking place during the screening stage. Making an informal call to a candidate just to ask questions pertaining to information that is already listed on their resume is redundant and should not be used as a pass or fail test for the next level. Making someone go through four rounds for an entry-level job is overkill. Sure, multiple interviews might make sense for high-level positions at high corporate executive companies, but for a role that involves basic tasks like calling patients about expired credit cards on file? That's excessive. If you need that many interviews, it’s a sign that the role or ideal candidate hasn’t been clearly defined. A confident and decisive employer can spot the right fit after one chat. If you can’t, it’s time to rethink your criteria instead of dragging candidates through a drawn-out process. Stop having candidates meet with multiple interviewers who have nothing to do with the hiring decision. Remember, this not only wastes the candidate's time but also costs your company in terms of resources. Since most decisions are made in the final round, why not skip the first three and go straight to the decision-maker? Or better yet, a single panel interview could have streamlined things and saved everyone time. To have me go through an entire month with this endless deliberation only to be rejected could have easily been done through just one interview. Stop wasting people’s time, and start taking steps to better your hiring process. Simplify and be transparent with the candidate.
