I went through a three-round interview process for a position:
Round 1: Technical interview conducted online with an Indian manager.
Round 2: Panel interview with an American/UK panel, for which I was called to the office.
Round 3: HR discussion (to be conducted after the panel round).
The first round was completed successfully in online mode. After that, I was informed that I had been shortlisted and was asked to come to the office for the second round.
I arranged my schedule, traveled to the office, and reported at the scheduled time. However, after reaching there, I was made to wait for nearly four hours without any proper communication or update regarding the interview status.
After waiting for such a long period, I was finally informed that there was no requirement for the position.
This was extremely disappointing and unprofessional for several reasons:
If the requirement was closed or put on hold, candidates should have been informed before calling them for an in-office interview.
Making a candidate wait for four hours without clarity reflects poor coordination between HR and hiring managers.
It resulted in a complete waste of my time, effort, travel cost, and professional energy.
It demonstrates a lack of respect for a candidate’s commitment and availability.
Interview processes are a two-way evaluation. Just as companies expect professionalism from candidates, candidates also expect basic courtesy, communication, and respect from the organization.
Overall, the experience reflected poor internal communication and unprofessional handling of the hiring process.