The initial conversation with recruiter was positive and professional. She explained the role and the hiring process clearly. Shortly (literally, in 2 days) after the call, she requested professional references. I provided them quickly, and my references confirmed that they were contacted and provided the requested feedback. However, the overall process took significantly longer than expected. After the reference checks, I was informed that I needed to wait for an update. Later, I was told that the team "had not yet had the opportunity to review my profile due to workload". Around a month after the initial conversation, I was informed by recruiter that another candidate had been selected. I appreciated her communication style and professionalism throughout the process. However, requesting professional references even before completing the technical interview stage felt premature, as there was still a significant part of the evaluation process remaining. This created some uncertainty about how the hiring process was structured.