A job-seeker was left waiting alone during a scheduled interview as the HR professional simply didn’t show up without informing beforehand. Instead of accepting that these things happen and calling it a day, the candidate criticised the HR over a personal WhatsApp message and withdrew his job application.
A screenshot of his biting text is now going viral, with many calling it a courageous reaction in a punishing job market.
The viral screenshot
A screenshot of the exchange between the candidate and the HR professional was shared on X by Sapna Madan, whose bio describes her as an investor.
The screenshot began with a message from the HR asking the candidate to join the virtual meeting five minutes before the scheduled time.
The next day, at 2:58 pm, the candidate texted the HR to say he was in the meeting. On receiving no response, he sent a follow-up text at 3:07 pm.
“Hii wanted to know the update about the scheduled interview,” the candidate said.
The HR replied saying they would share the meeting link one hour before the scheduled time, completely oblivious to the fact that the scheduled meeting time had already come and gone.
“Whenever it is scheduled, I will share the meeting link with you at least 1 hour in advance, as I am currently not feeling well,” they said.
Candidate withdraws application
The candidate reminded the HR that the meeting was scheduled for “right now”, i.e., 3 pm. He then sent a biting message calling the HR’s attitude unprofessional and blocking them.
“Your lack of timely communication regarding this matter is highly unprofessional. I had been preparing for this since morning, and as a result, I am no longer interested,” the candidate said.
Sharing the screenshot on X, Sapna Madan praised the candidate for calling out unprofessional behaviour.
“You can’t show up casually, stay unprofessional, and then expect professionals to carry you. That’s not collaboration, that’s exploitation,” she said.
Internet users were largely in agreement. “Great to see this in current job market. The candidate must be highly skilled,” wrote one person.
“It reminds me of my interviews back in 2020–21. They used to schedule my interviews for 4:00 AM, or sometimes late at night around 10:00 or 11:00 PM. I would wait for them, but there was often no response. This HR behavior is really frustrating,” another agreed.
“Professionalism and the value of time should be adhered from both sides,” an X user said.