A recruiter cold-messaged me on LinkedIn about the Management Trainee program and we quickly discussed the role and benefits over the phone. The application process moved fast, though I had to request tech support because the booking app was initially inoperable.
1st Interview (Virtual): The phone screen with the Talent Acquisition Manager went well. Standard behavioral questions — "Tell me about yourself," "Tell me about a time when..." — nothing unique or challenging. She shared my results at the end, which I appreciated for its transparency and speed. However, I was caught off guard when told that if I advanced beyond the 2nd round, I might be expected to travel to Shreveport, Louisiana — a 6-hour round trip from my location — at my own expense, with no guarantee of an offer for a role paying only $47,500/year with a minimum expectation of 46+ hours per week. This was never disclosed upfront.
2nd Interview (In-Person, Branch Observation): I rescheduled due to an ice storm and the team accommodated without issue. I arrived on time, professionally dressed with two copies of my resume as instructed. Unfortunately, neither of the two managers I was told would conduct my interview (Area Manager and Branch Manager) were available when I arrived. I spent roughly 40 minutes with a different manager who gave me a tour as though it were my first day — walking me through how competitive the environment is and the extreme KPIs expected monthly. The emphasis was entirely on "we're here to drive sales" with hints of culture, growth, or the human side of the work.
I eventually met with only one of the two promised managers. I was never given an explanation for why the other couldn't attend, which felt unfair given that both were supposed to evaluate me. The questions were again standard — "Tell me about yourself," "What made you apply?" — until the competitive scale question: "On a scale of 1–10, how competitive are you?" I answered honestly with a 7 and gave an ethical explanation, but I could tell from the interviewer's note-taking that anything below a 9 was the wrong answer.
I also noticed during my branch observation that there were no women present at the location, which made me question whether I'd be a culture fit.
Result: Rejection came within 2 days via a generic email with zero specific feedback — just "we have made an evaluation of the answers you gave". After investing multiple hours across two rounds, a branch visit, and professional preparation, receiving a copy-paste rejection with no actionable insight felt dismissive.
Overall: The recruiter was proactive and the process moved quickly, which I respect. But the lack of transparency about potential travel expectations, the disorganized 2nd interview (wrong managers, no explanation), the hyper-focus on sales competitiveness over culture, the absence of visible diversity at the branch, and the generic rejection after significant time investment left a poor impression. For context, I have sales experience and have interviewed for roles with fewer stages, higher pay, and fewer expected hours — so the bar here felt disproportionate to the offer. Reading other employee reviews about burnout, 50+ hour weeks, and high turnover confirmed this may not have been the right fit.
Advice to Management: Be transparent about travel expectations and logistics costs before advancing candidates. Ensure the managers listed in interview confirmations are actually present. Provide specific feedback in rejections — especially after multi-stage processes. Consider how the branch environment and visible team composition affect a candidate's perception of culture fit.