Phone screen with HR, followed by phone screen with Finance Director. Then a 5 person in-person interview on site. All of that is fine, no issues. BUT they started calling my references the NEXT day after the interview, and/or sending them really in-depth essay prompts before even making me an offer. All of this seems positive, but then they say they decided to promote someone internally. Cool, fine, the job description and culture left a bad taste in my mouth. But them wasting the time of my references seemed really unprofessional. Shouldn't you have considered that internal hire BEFORE that moment?