XANADU (Canada) interview questions

I don’t usually write reviews, but my experience with Xanadu’s interview process stood out enough to share. Up until the final stage, the process was fairly standard. I completed multiple interviews, including an in-person meeting at their downtown office with another member of the HR team and the Chief People Officer. During that visit, I waited approximately 20 minutes to meet with the CPO, and the conversation itself felt brief and somewhat disengaged in comparison. About a week after my final interview, I received a rejection email stating that while I had “some good skills,” they did not see a strong enough fit to proceed. The decision itself wasn’t the issue—it was how the message was delivered. The email was clearly generic and appeared to be written for early-stage candidates. It referenced next steps in the process that I had already completed and did not acknowledge that I had gone through multiple rounds, including a final in-person interview. I followed up to request more personalized insight. I did not receive a response initially, and after sending a follow-up, I was told the hiring manager was on vacation and that additional feedback would be shared upon their return. I ultimately never heard back. This was disappointing, especially because my interactions during the interview process were otherwise positive. Everyone I spoke with—including Talent Acquisition and members of the HR team—came across as thoughtful and genuinely engaged in their work. I was genuinely interested in joining the team. However, the lack of follow-through after a final-stage interview left a negative impression. A more thoughtful rejection process and basic closure—especially after multiple rounds—would have made a significant difference to the candidate experience.

For the first stage (recruiter), they just ask about things like location, work styles, etc. For the second stage (technical interview), they asked some basic questions regarding waveguide operations. Interviewer was the head of the current project. Both interviewers were courteous.