Recently got rejected by a Bay Area startup after a 6-hour interview gauntlet. I’ve got 5+ years of experience in semi/mfg and have done the 12-hour Apple loops and 4-round Tesla sets, but this felt different. They even included a dedicated 'vibe check' round. Is this the new normal? It feels like startups are adopting Big Tech's exhausting hiring practices without the same transparency. Has anyone else noticed interviews getting excessively long lately?
* Recruiter Screen (1hr)
* Director of Engineering (1hr)
* **The "Panel" Day (Nearly 4 hours total):**
* VP Ops - 45mins
* Director of Ops - 45mins
* VP People - 45mins
* Reporting Manager - 45mins
* and *another* session with the Director of Eng - 45mins