Unprofessional from start to finish. The process dragged on for 9 weeks, and despite boasting about their so-called “Sterling Standard,” there’s nothing standard about their interview or communication process—it was chaotic at best. The lack of organization paired with the worst communication I’ve ever experienced in a hiring process led me to withdraw my candidacy. A week later, the recruiter reached out insisting I was their preferred choice and that a verbal offer would be coming Monday. By Friday? Silence. No communication from Sterling, no offer, just a third-party recruiter trying to patch things up. What followed was the definition of petty. Instead of respecting my withdrawal, they pulled me back into the conversation only to waste more of my time and posture by “declining” me as if that would give them the upper hand. Unprofessional doesn’t even begin to cover it. The leadership team should be embarrassed. In hindsight, I truly dodged a bullet.