An Indian job seeker has claimed they were rejected for a position because of their nearly two-hour commute to the office. In a detailed social media post, the anonymous candidate shared their disheartening experience, labelling it “the new corporate excuse” for job rejection.
In the Reddit post, the user recounted their first in-person interview experience that began with a ‘red flag.’ After travelling for almost two hours through heavy rain to reach the company’s office, they were reportedly met by an HR representative who was unaware of their scheduled meeting.
“Despite the HR having scheduled my interview, she asked if she had scheduled anything with me,” the user wrote. “That was the first red flag. It felt like I was either a backup candidate or they had already finalised someone else.”
Their interaction took a more troubling turn as the HR representative reportedly focused heavily on the candidate’s location. Despite having previously stated that distance wouldn’t be a factor, she questioned their long commute and suggested alternative travel options.
“That was the second red flag,” the candidate noted, pointing to the inconsistency as a sign of shifting expectations.
The third red flag, according to the user, was a disturbing insight into the company’s culture. The HR allegedly spoke of internal bickering about the designers’ work and said the company didn’t encourage “weaklings,” highlighting the need for upfront individuals. The candidate felt she was indirectly admitting the workplace was toxic.
Hours after the interview, the applicant reached home only to find a rejection email citing concerns about the commute and whether they would be a good fit for the “fast-paced, collaborative” work environment.
“What I genuinely felt was that during the interview, she tried her best to make me withdraw myself from the process. But since I didn’t react the way she might have expected, her plan didn’t work — so she had to reject me herself,” the candidate wrote.
The post resonated with many, who shared similar experiences of rejections based on vague reasoning. Others pointed out the challenges of navigating in-person interviews, especially when corporate cultures are misrepresented during virtual screenings.
“It sounds like they want anybody to live closer so they can be in the office 5 days a week,” read a comment.
Another said, “I don’t blame them for questioning the commute a little, but if that was such a serious concern, they shouldn’t have asked you for an interview in the first place.”
“This is why I never tell them where I live during the interview stage. It’s just another reason they can reject you. And they are looking for reasons throughout the process,” suggested a user.