Initial stage with Talent Acquisition Manager was great. They were warm, personable & transparent about the role & challenges within the business.
Second stage was unsatisfactory, essentially mirroring another interview review at OMS from a few weeks earlier. Per the brief, this should have been relatively conversational with the interviewer introducing the business & explaining their 3 core values. This didn't happen. Instead, it began with a Q&A but none of my answers were probed/followed up, highlighting a lack of engagement from their side.
When invited to ask questions, the answers given were entirely perfunctory, with zero intent to engage in a conversation.
I have to comment also on the manner of the 2nd interviewer. Their aloofness & disengagement betrayed an openly unprofessional demeanour to the point of being objectionable. And as such, not aligning with their own core values! Come on, if you're holding a values-based interview, ensure the interviewer is invested in the company's values! Obviously this is a poor reflection of the business, & I expect these will not be random episodes but a pattern of behaviour that should be resolved through additional training.
In view of the above I have withdrawn from the process. This is a pity as I feel the business is genuinely interesting & innovative & I expect the other members of the team are of a completely different nature.
A final thing to add, is while a values-based interview is entirely legitimate, I'd suggest the competency stage of the process should be prioritised as there's a risk the best candidates from a role execution perspective may not progress to the final stages based on the subjective interpretation by one person of a candidate's values.