Was referred via an ex-colleague who worked there, so only had a quick face to face interview with the delivery manager (just for them to meet me and confirm the recommendation). From referral to interview took a long time and then from interview to starting work was about 3 weeks.

The interview with the hiring manager felt impersonal and transactional. There was little to no effort to get to know me beyond standardized questions. It was a one-way interview, where they focused solely on assessing my understanding of the Business Analyst role rather than introducing the role itself or engaging in a meaningful conversation. Despite being a 30-minute session, the responsibility to drive engagement was entirely on me—they expected proactiveness without reciprocating. It felt like a pure assessment rather than a discussion, with no attempt to create a two-way dialogue or offer insights into the team, expectations, or company culture. I assume they operate this way because of their strong market position, but it raises doubts about whether their internal culture truly values collaboration and engagement. If the hiring process is this transactional, I question whether the work environment would be any different.