I had a very bad experience with EXL interview process specially with the recruiting department. I had left my previous org and was searching for new job when HR reached out to me. They asked for the basic details and salary expectations(~50% hike). After that I appeared for 3 round of interviews. All 3 of them were technical, primarily focusing on SQL and Tableau. While 2 of them happened virtually, 3rd one was F2F in their office with AVP and a Sr. Mgr. Since I was an immediate joiner, all 3 rounds were conducted within a week itself. After the 3rd round I was confident that it went well and I would get through. HR told me that they will convey the outcome via email. However in the evening they called me and asked for my expectation again and how much can I negotiate . I gave them both the figures (negotiated from 50% hike to 40% hike). The next day another HR called me and asked the same question again. When I told them the same numbers they told me that they don't have that much budget and asked me if I can go down any further. Since I was in need of job, I went down further to 30% hike but they were not ready for that as well. When I asked them about their budget, they were offering me just 10% hike which was really shocking for me. They said they will check with the seniors regarding my expectations but then I never heard back from them.
While I know that there is a budget constraint for every role, rejecting a candidate after 3 rounds of interview just because their expectation exceeds your budget, is completely unprofessional given the expectation was clearly stated during the phone screening itself. It also reflects the company's culture and ethics. It not only wasted my time but also made me feel dejected at such difficult period when I didn't have a job.