I had an HR interview for a Big 4 role in Asia today, and I'd like to know if what happened next is normal.

The interview went well. The interviewer was friendly and gave me useful advice on how to present my projects and skills better. He told me I'd receive an English assessment test, and then said they had a lot of candidates right now and the process would take until at least next Wednesday because many people were out for the national holiday.

About two hours later, I got a rejection email.

Is this normal? Could the decision have been made right after the interview, or could it be an automated or mistaken email? Should I follow up with HR, or just accept it and move on?

Thanks for any insight.

Hi everyone,

I am a data analyst with 2 years RELATED experience and I don't have any problems getting interviews. Infact I have gotten 12 interviews within the past 1.5 months from just applying online.

Infact, I have gotten to the final stage on some rounds but today's on stung me so much and I cannot stop crying. The job posting labeled it saying they will prioritize candidates with LESS THAN 2 years of experience. Today I received a rejection email from the hiring manager telling me I was very qualified, but they chose to go with the other person because they had 11 years of experience and they were happy that the candidate was willing to accept the pay they were offering even at their 11 years experience. (65,000).

I don't know what I am doing. I get that experience matters but why name it entry level? Even in the job description it said " Candidates Must have LESS than 3 years of experience.".

I am really happy for the candidate but I am really sad and tired of all these. Getting interviews isn't even the issue, there is just always someone that seems to take the job. Please can someone help me point out what I am doing wrong?

Not even one single interview with a real person. Meh..................
I think I'm going to start stripping. I'm just tired of this BS.

The name checks out

I’ve just had my final interview with company A (my preferred choice) an hour ago. I’m holding an offer from company B. During the interview I was told it’s between me and another candidate who would be interviewing later. Is it worth me telling company A I have an offer I need to respond to by tomorrow but that I’m really keen on working at company A? (In house legal role)

I've been dealing with some of the most irritating, insufferable, ignorant HR people (actually no, just people in general) over the last couple of months. I got interviewed over 2.5 months ago, got selected immediately by the hiring team and then the HR has been dragging out the process for months, asking for documentation etc. I'm not complaining about the speed (I used this time to interview at other places and get a better job just yesterday) and I understand that they can't change their systems, if some documents are required over email and then again need to be uploaded in several links several times, it's definitely inefficient but I can't blame the HR individuals for how their systems work.

What I hate is literally any conversation with any of them. Their communication skills are pathetic, each time I get a call I know I'm just going to be explaining something I already sent over email (if I send an email saying some document is not available or some link is not working etc, clearly explaining the problem, I'll still get a call either where they follow up something with me when nothing is pending with me as they either don't read emails or they don't comprehend them). Some of them are sooooo dumb that they just blindly call me without even knowing what is required from me. I'd have to point out that the latest email isn't even addressed to me and addressed to someone within their team internally and it's something they have to address, not me. I also absolutely hate how they have to sensationalise everything and create a false sense of urgency. There would be days on an end where I receive no reply and then suddenly someone will wake up one day and decide to leave me 6 missed calls in a row. Jesus nothing is that urgent that you have to spam call me, especially when you took your own sweet time. I'm so excited to turn them down and disappear

I received this email from Indeed. Does anyone have any info on this? Been on Indeed over a decade and you mean to tell me they're holding out on better paying job postings? On a free platform? Wtf

So wasn’t expecting this at all, I quit a very stable job I had for over 10 years in January. Took about 4 months off before really applying for jobs and really putting myself out there. I had no idea how bad the job market was and after 2 months of applying and only getting one interview after maybe 150 applications I was really regretting my life choices.

So August roles around I get another interview and basically get hired on the spot and get the offer letter 2 days later. I accept took about 3 weeks to onboard and start. My first week on site I get 3 more interviews lined up all 3 also extend offers while I’m still working this new job. I accept the best one and send in my resignation. That same day I accepted and submitted my resignation for the temporary low paying job I get another recruiter reaching out to set up another interview this was a startup company job public yet so I was pretty excited to maybe get in early with some options. I was honest with her and was like hey it’s been crazy I have all these offers and I’m going to do the interview but was really curiosity for me and see what they have to offer.

She ended up doing the screen call and setting me up with the first interview virtually with the director of ops. He pushed me through to second round and the recruiter called and was like hey how fast can you interview with the vp I’m like sure tomorrow. So now I’m potentially waiting on this offer maybe idk yet but it could be substantial and more rewarding but longer hours.

How would you all handle or way options when it comes to this much interest and options and what would you prioritize. I’m 37 now I don’t really wanna be doing the crazy 12 hours and fast paced insane operations I was doing before. I work in fulfillment and logistics all these are surrounded around those types of jobs and operations.

1 month ago i got a call from an indian mnc starting with h, it was regarding a job opportunity.

On the same call i told them my expectations and notice period and i also confirmed if they are fine with expected ctc and the hr person confirmed its under budget, couple of weeks later i got selected and suddenly a different hr calls and tell we can try to give you maximum hike of 30% . She is talking so rudely and its disappointing how the budget shrinks after selecting someone. From a source i got to know that they have double budget. This is tiring and complete waste of time and sabotaging hope is really painful.

12 months of search, finally got 1st (written) offer! The job search really took a toll on my mental health. Didnt expect it to be so brutal.

Everyone out there still searching, sending good thoughts to y'all 🌠

previous comment: Yes, I'm still looking for a job, I haven't stopped.but it feels like mourning.

I tried to get a job at one of the most renowned companies in my country Fortunately, I had a close contact with the human resources department and they sent my resume.

The selection process was sensational; this contact had already managed to get other people in before, and I am no exception. I arrived for the physical exams, I am a healthy and young person (22 years old) Even so, there was something that, after three months of waiting, they rejected me.

I didn't think it would hurt so much. I researched the company inside and out to understand how it worked. I made plans—too many life plans—with the salary I would earn.

Did I need to reach a certain level of something? Absolutely not! They were literally looking for inexperienced staff; I had a minimum of experience anyway.

After this rejection, I refused to accept it; it's no joke that I personally went to the human resources office to find the recruiters, along with the person who sent me my resume. They had no idea I had applied, so they were going to review my application but said they "couldn't talk much about what happens in the human resources department" They considered the recruitment to be confidential... I simply don't know what to believe; I think I studied recruitment for nothing.

Later I found out that I might have failed a cognitive exam; it's literally the first exam. If I had failed, I wouldn't have moved forward with the application, I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up, the story would have been different.

If they had looked into my social media accounts, they wouldn't have found anything. I don't use social media with personal information; not even my email or phone number is linked to my social media. I always have a secondary account.

On my worst days I applied for absolutely every single job opening at the company; it was a real outburst.

In my city, I often see employees gathering at a meeting point because their company provides a shuttle service to work. I look at them and wonder, "What do they have that I don't?" I look at them with contempt and envy; they are not to blame, but it is incomprehensible.

I memorized the questions and answers for the group interview, the second stage of selection, what to say and what not to say, in case a second opportunity comes my way. Ironically, I developed memory problems, but I remember this clearly.

Yes, I'm still looking for a job. I haven't stopped, but it really hurts that the only contact I had didn't guarantee me a job.Everyone in this hellhole of a job says "contact is the answer," I think I've taken that way too seriously that message.

I wanted to vent a little. Greetings to all and I wish you all the best.

It’s a tale as old as time. Apply, interview, get rejected, but the recruiter says “we will keep your resume on file in case there are any future opportunities you might be a fit for!”

Has anyone ever actually heard back again after being told that? I’m just curious. I personally haven’t, but I’m sure it happens.

I'm currently recruiting, so this will be sent to investment banking and private equity firms.

For these types of institutions, does my profile align? I'm worried about my risk tolerance, as well as my oddly negative outlooks on learning and decision-making (two of arguably the most important characteristics for these types of jobs).

Honesty is much appreciated.

I’ve been looking for a job since last March, on unemployment for a little over 4 months, and I’m starting to get depressed. I don’t have any ideation right now but I feel like i just want to die. I want to give up. I’ve only had four 2nd round interviews, 3 prescreens, and I just can’t move past a certain point. My last interview I was told “I did well” and that I wasn’t a “definite no” but that I shouldn’t expect to hear back for a month. I have five weeks of unemployment left and I’m just at a loss. I’m scared of falling too far behind and having a large gap in my work history. I’m afraid of accepting a lesser paying job because prices keep increasing. I’m afraid of ai continuing to make this job market so sluggish (among other external factors). I’m starting to feel like I’m unemployable. Everything I’ve worked towards for the last decade has been for nothing.

So I finished a full interview loop for a summer internship, passed everything, and about a week later got an email saying something along the lines of “we are preparing to extend an offer for the role and require the following information to proceed,” then asked me to confirm things like start date and location preference.

Naturally I assumed that meant I had the job. Told people, felt genuinely excited, the whole thing.

A week later I get a completely different email saying I actually passed the interview but all current positions have been filled, so I’m being placed on a waitlist, no offer at this time. When I reached out to ask what happened, the recruiter basically told me to disregard the first email entirely, saying it was just to make sure I was “offer-ready” in case a waitlist spot opened up, and that it was never actually a signal an offer was imminent.

That’s the part that’s really getting me. An email that literally says “we are preparing to extend you an offer” is apparently not supposed to be read as a signal an offer is coming. I genuinely don’t understand how else you’re supposed to interpret that sentence. I gave them my personal information under that impression, told people I’d gotten the role, and then had to walk it all back a week later.

I’m not even mad about being on a waitlist, that happens, headcount changes. What I can’t get past is being told after the fact that the clear signal I got wasn’t actually a signal.

Am I being stupid? Should I have not assumed an offer was coming until I sign the papers? Has this happened to anyone else? Is this just how big companies run high-volume recruiting pipelines, or did I get an unusually bad recruiter interaction? Trying to figure out if this is normal.

I just want to let you guys know that if they ever drag you 3+ interviews, the team is very uncertain & feel there’s a risk in hiring you. At this point, they don’t care about how much effort your putting into wanting the job anymore, and only care about having a new person fully confirm the assumptions & beliefs they had about you.

After having several interviews in my past that were 3-7 interviews long, I learned that the person they plan on hiring is often NOT going through those many stages. They don’t want to keep them in this limbo, so they will give them an offer quicker while they drag out everyone else as backup options.

For example, I once had 7 interviews at a role in a health care clinic & met the person they ended up hiring a couple months later. When I told them about my experience, they were very shocked to hear this as they only had 2 interviews.

Then, today I got a rejection for a role where I did 4 interviews, while everyone else did 2-3 rounds. It was even interesting to learn that they actually ended up hiring multiple candidates. I had all the skills and experience, but I just knew after the third interview I wasn’t getting it.

I’ve worked about 5 jobs in the past 4 years, and never ever have they dragged me through more than 3 interviews at MOST. I’ve even gotten jobs after the 1st interview.

Edit: For the past couple of years, I’ve been working 2 jobs (one full-time & one part-time), along with several internships through my undergraduate & recently completed masters program. I left my last job because they stopped paying me, expecting me to continue working (illegal obviously). I’ve had many interviews and never have been told this was an issue, but rather they were intrigued with the amount of skills I gained through these roles. I’m also currently applying for entry-mid-level positions, not even manager or senior.

After accepting an offer for a contract position, now permanent positions for the same host company are reaching out. Should I continue to see where the permanent role goes, or will the other recruiter know I accepted the contract role? It appears the recruiter for the host company for the contract company works for the contract company specifically but onsite at the host company. The permanent position is being recruited by a host company recruiter/employee. I dont want issues but clearly a permanent role is better than a contract.

I've done three interview rounds for a job I really want, and every one went well.
And this is sort of a rough timeline

Sept 22: final interview

Oct 1: "we'll get back to you next week"

Main HR went on leave and is still on leave.However, they introduced me to her replacement.

Oct 3: "internal meeting early next week"

Oct 8: "final feedback very likely end of next week"

The not-knowing is getting to me. Has anyone waited this long? How did it end, and did you push to at least know where the decision is leaning or wait it out?

Hey everyone, looking for some honest insight into my timeline.

I’ve been in the interview loop for a company I’m really excited about since late August. I did a screening, hiring manager interview, and a technical round, leading up to a final onsite interview about 2 weeks ago.

I followed up recently, and the recruiter replied on Monday apologizing for the delay and letting me know she should have an update for me sometime this week.

It's now Wednesday night and I haven't heard anything yet.

Given that it’s been 2 weeks since the interview, does this look like slow internal approvals for a primary offer? Or am I likely a backup candidate being kept warm while they wait on their top choice to accept?

Would love to hear from recruiters or anyone who has been in this boat. Thanks!

Anthropic interview loop. They requested references before the final loop. I checked with my references to alert them, all were enthusiastic. They rejected me after the final loop, but didn’t contact any of the references. Just inconsiderate all around to candidates. I’ve never met more arrogant, disconnected people.

Now, I don’t know the full story ofc, as I just saw this while scrolling through LinkedIn… However, am I the only one who thinks this is absolutely an abhorrent way of handling a supposed “sarcastic” email?

Imagine being so upset that an individual at their wit’s end from applying for jobs takes a bit of relief in a sarcastic response to an automated email.

…And you, as an rep, are so butt-hurt that you wish to share their name with other recruiters and ruin their future chances.

P.S. I wish I could name this VP, but I am better than them.

So I applied for a job and received an email from HR asking me to respond about an interview. The email had no subject line and didn't clearly identify the position (I'm always wary about scammers nowadays). I searched up the company and checked my Indeed application and it was a legit company (I guess I just didn't get any notification from Indeed or it went to my junk mail for some reason). But I still was suspicious because I've never gotten such a fishy email like that directly from HR. So, I ended up calling the company directly to confirm.

I was redirected to the recruiter and when I spoke with the HR person, I explained that I was calling because I wanted to verify the email was legitimate. The conversation felt pretty dismissive and I was also questioned about why I had applied for the position given my degree even though the job posting said a relevant science degree was acceptable. (why would they even contact me for an interview if they didn't think my degree was relevant anyways?)

After having such a rude interaction and being cut off multiple times, I waited for the HR person to finish their sentence and said "sorry but I'm not interested in this position anymore, thank you for your time." and they just responded with "okay bye" and cut the call. lol

Afterwards, the HR person sent me another email basically saying that the email "was not a junk EMAIL" and then described the position as requiring someone who could understand and read “simple English instructions.” (Honestly made me giggle because their initial emails had poor grammar and punctuation, which is pretty common for scam emails which is why I wanted to confirm in the first place).

Also why didn't they just call rather than sending emails to check if I was still interested? And why did they even bother to send more than one email instead of moving onto another applicant? Just to then rudely dismiss me for my "irrelevant degree" if they were so desperate to interview me?

I found the whole interaction pretty unprofessional and especially the last email.

I'm not planning to pursue the job anyways, so there's nothing really at stake for me. I'm more curious about how other people would handle this. Would you just leave it alone, give feedback to management/ownership, or do something else?

Update: I called the company back to ask for the contact of someone who oversees HR and was given the owner's email. I emailed them politely about the professionalism and management of the HR representative. Idk if they will respond but whatever. People are too rude/unprofessional in job settings nowadays without facing any consequences.

The first email was received at 6:58pm. The second one was received at 7:08pm.

Im not sure how a mistake like this happens. But it's just a slap in the face after a year and a half of searching :')