My experience with Gusto's recruitment process lasted for 5 weeks and involved one informational interview and one interview with the hiring manager. Below is a breakdown of the timeline: 2/23: A recruiter reached out to gauge my interest in a position that had not yet been externally posted. We scheduled a 30-minute informational meeting for 2/27. 2/27: The meeting with the recruiter took place, albeit starting 15 minutes late. The recruiter rushed through a brief overview of the company and the role, asking a few questions. I emphasized my interest in leadership opportunities despite not currently holding a leadership position. The recruiter thanked me, ensuring me that they were looking for someone more technical and that the lack of management experience wasn't necessarily a deal breaker. They mentioned they would get back to me by the end of the week at the latest. 3/1: I received an automated email to formally apply for the job posting since it had not been previously listed. 3/6: I followed up to inquire about next steps but received no reply. 3/8: I received an email requesting the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to proceed with the interview process. 3/15: After another week had passed, I received an email asking for my availability to interview with the hiring manager. 3/26: 11 days after submitting my availability, they scheduled the interview for the end of the week, on 3/29. 3/29: During the 45-minute interview with the hiring manager, it became apparent that she was unaware of my status as an individual contributor without current team management responsibilities. Near the end of the interview, I was given only 6 minutes to ask questions, and it was confirmed that the hiring manager was seeking someone with management experience for the role. 4/1: I received a rejection email. Overall, I wouldn't have accepted the role even if it had been offered. The recruitment process struck me as highly unprofessional, wasting many hours of my time as I was never truly considered due to their requirement for management experience.