Pernod Ricard Program Manager interview questions

A first phone call with HR talent acquisition. A second interview with a manager. After these 2 steps, they have invited me for a fourth and fifth interview (Italian office) . Before take a decision, without any notice the hr manager made a backdoor reference check. She contacted my ex manager in my previous employer without any notice. As you can imagine this is not a behavior expected by a person who works in a company like Pernod. It's a poor hiring process.