There were 6 rounds of interviews, including a screening round.

Everything was going pretty well until I met a lady in the Hiring Manager round. Honestly, I decided while interviewing that I could not work with this lady.

HR said their staff is very well trained to conduct interviews, like Google.

Here is my feedback:

• She joined 5 minutes late.
• There was no apology for joining late.
• There was no introduction from her side.
• She was just writing and writing, not even listening to what the candidate was saying.
• She cut me off, saying we had limited time, though she ended the interview 10 minutes early.
• It was like I answered a question, and then she asked a similar one again. I thought, did you really hear what I just said?

How can I expect good feedback if somebody is not even listening?

HR and the Hiring Committee go by the feedback they receive. I was rejected because of this round.

I think it's my destiny that I encountered such a person and wasted many months of effort. It was truly heartbreaking for me, but I believe it's not the end of the world.

I hope Confluent finds such people and takes corrective measures.