I recently went through a five-stage interview process for a role at OpenTable, reaching the final stage which involved preparing and presenting a detailed task to a panel. Throughout the process, the feedback I received was positive, and each stage made me feel closer to the role — so I invested a great deal of time, effort, and energy into the final presentation. Unfortunately, after all that work, I received a rejection with very little meaningful feedback. The recruiter mentioned that I “did a great job presenting” but that the panel expected me to look further into competitors — something that could have been clarified or assessed earlier in the process. It felt discouraging to be disqualified for missing one point after such a lengthy and multi-layered process. The feedback call lasted about a minute and didn’t add any real insight — it could have easily been an email. After five stages, I expected more thoughtful and constructive feedback, or at least a more transparent process. Overall, while the interviewers were professional throughout, the process felt overly time-consuming, unrealistic, and ultimately discouraging. I hope OpenTable considers simplifying their hiring stages and offering more meaningful feedback to candidates who invest so much time preparing.

The whole interview experience was very positive. From the very beginning, the senior recruiter was supportive, providing preparation sessions and follow-ups. The process consisted of four stages: an initial screening, an interview with the director, a role-play interview with both the hiring manager and director, and finally, an interview with the senior director. Feedback and next steps were always shared promptly, and I appreciated the flexibility of being able to choose the interview times that worked best for me. Just a few days after the final stage, I received the job offer. Overall, it was an excellent experience. Everyone I interacted with was welcoming, supportive, and always ready to answer my questions, which helped put me at ease throughout the process. My favorite part was the role play interview, it was a truly engaging and insightful experience.