This was an incredibly long and tedious interview process. After speaking with a recruiter, I then had three separate video interviews over the process of 2.5 weeks, as well as an unpaid assessment that took a few hours, only to be told that they are looking for someone with more direct experience in the role. Isn't this something they could have found out before all of these steps?

Awful. The recruiter scheduled a phone screen with me - and sent a meeting cancellation 3 minutes into the scheduled time with no details, or apology. Rescheduled without asking for my availability. Then I received another cancellation saying they moved forward with an internal candidate. We are humans here - looking for a job. Treat us as such, and with respect.