I applied online for the role at Van Oord. The process began with an initial screening, followed by an interview with the hiring team. One of the interviewers was supposed to be an ex-colleague of mine, but due to corporate policy and concerns about potential bias, he was replaced by another interviewer. The interview itself was friendly and lasted about an hour, with a focus on my previous experience and how I could contribute to the team. I was encouraged to reach out to my ex-colleague after the interview to discuss his experience at Van Oord. A few days after the interview, I received a call from the recruiter, who informed me that I had been rejected. The reason given was that I was perceived as being “dishonest” and “not open” during the interview, which I found unexpected and disappointing, given the positive tone of the conversation.