One round. Not a screen and a panel and a take-home and a final — a single conversation, and then a decision. The candidate had prepared for the usual marathon. Instead, when they asked about next steps, they were told there were none to speak of: one round, and the company would decide within the week.
They had never encountered a process that short. They were, by their own account, shocked and grateful in equal measure — proof that the nine-round loop is a choice, not a requirement.