The process spanned 6 months and involved 8+ rounds of rigorous screening across both the International and India-specific Partner teams — an exhausting commitment for any candidate. The International Partners team stood out as the most professional part of the entire experience. They were transparent about what they were looking for, communicated clearly, and genuinely advocated for my candidature even after multiple rounds. That professionalism is worth acknowledging. The India team, however, was a completely different story. There was a persistent lack of clarity and alignment internally, which translated into a frustrating back-and-forth for the candidate: • After 4 rounds of interviews, the team suddenly realized they couldn't match the compensation expectations — something that should have been aligned upfront. • Two weeks later, they came back to re-initiate discussions with a revised comp structure. • With a moral agreement on compensation in place, I was asked to prepare for a Challenge Round — which was then abruptly cancelled. • Out of nowhere, an additional round with the RVP was introduced — never discussed or outlined as part of the process earlier. ────────────────────────── THE FINAL ROUND ────────────────────────── The RVP round felt less like an evaluation and more like a formality for a decision already made. Through the entire 45-minute conversation, I was consistently cut off mid-answer and barely given the space to complete a thought. It felt pre-planned rather than a genuine assessment. I maintained my composure, but it was evident the outcome had been decided before the conversation began. If there was already a preferred candidate in consideration, putting another candidate through this stage — after 6 months and 8 rounds — reflects poorly on the integrity of the process. ────────────────────────── OVERALL TAKE ────────────────────────── The candidate experience was, frankly, miserable. A 6-month process with shifting goalposts, last-minute round additions, cancelled assessments, and compensation misalignment is not how a company of MongoDB's scale should treat candidates. Additionally, the high attrition within the hiring team itself — with multiple people unable to complete even a year — says something about the internal culture that prospective candidates should factor into their decision. Advice to MongoDB: Respect candidates' time. Align internally before engaging externally. Transparency isn't optional — it's the baseline.