How NOT to Hire Someone

As you know I was laid off last May from my job with Dot Hell. I interviewed actively from June to December, early January, when I decided to really focus on building a freelancing business and work on my other business idea. But back on Friday, March 9th I interviewed with a software company here in San Diego. The opportunity came about through networking which proves that networking does work... however, I'm so disenchanted with the hiring process I want to cry.

I interview with SIX people in a four hour time frame March 9th, including the CEO. I did my due diligence following up once a week with the hiring manager. On March 27th, I get this email:

thanks Sarah. I made a recommendation to the CEO to bring you on board. He is in NY today and I should hear from him later. Let me talk to him and I will give you a call later today or tomorrow.

Will need references – I assume you have them. Just 2 please.

Then don't hear from him, even though he said he would call. So I follow up a week later and receive an email from him to call him. So I do, thinking this sucks that I have to call this guy to hear that they are going with someone else. But when I do call I hear from him that he wanted to talk salary and would craft an offer letter. I get this email Monday of this week:

We are close. I setup the offer letter. Our CEO has to review and when he gets it back to me, I can send over.

Then on Tuesday, I get a call from the CEO's assistant requesting a follow-up phone interview for Thursday. She calls on Wednesday, asking to re-schedule for a face-to-face interview on Friday. So, went on the interview today and now I hear that there are a couple of additional candidates they want to meet with before making a decision. That I'm the only one they've brought in for a second round, everyone likes me... and they'll get back to me.

I'm so F'ing sick of being on the back burner. At this point I want to tell them step off. This is crap! I am so over the job interview process. It's clear to me that my future manager can't get decisions approved by the CEO.

This is my life too. This is a horrible experience from my perspective and really gives me doubt about working for this company. I really want to opt-out. I'm going to give the weekend to think about it and if I feel the same way on Monday, I probably will.