My technical discussions were very professional. It was very neat. After the technical round, they explained on the team that I would be joining and the nature of the work, with which I had no problems. She also told me she would try to conduct the HR round as well on the same day. They asked me to come after lunch to have one discussion with her manager.

That manager was so unprofessional. I am very sorry to say it. He started off by saying, "What are you expecting out of Fidelity?" I told him learning is the main thing for me and I would like to work on all cutting-edge technology. He started saying, "We, being in the banking domain, can't use cutting-edge technology." I had high regards for Fidelity. But with this kind of comment from a senior manager, where cutting-edge technologies are not being used here, it puts down the name of the company in front of a candidate. There are other ways to deal with it, and this was not the way.

Then he said, "Your profile also tells you have no patience to wait, and you have done 3-4 shifts by changing companies in your 6 years, which means to say you are unstable. If you don't get cutting-edge technology, you will quit from here as well!" This is how he began the interview!

Then I told him I am interested in research. I would like to be recognized. He is saying with project timelines, you cannot do that and may have to stretch and do it. For everything, he has a problem?

He then asked about my salary component, on how much I was getting in my current organization. I told him X lakhs. He told me, "Which company are you joining and the package there?" I told him Y lakhs. "What is your expectation?" I told him Z, as I had communicated earlier. He is saying, "Don't make me look like a fool in front of the HRs. Don't tell a salary which even managers won't get. Don't tell a number which other people laugh at. Considering your stability factor also into account, tell a number so that I will discuss it with HR." He made me feel so uncomfortable in the process that I had to forcefully tell a lower salary.

I told him money is not the only criterion. Then he is like, "We will give you lower than what you are getting; will you work for Fidelity?"

I have been recruited by top companies like Oracle and others before. I have never faced such a situation, that too in a manager round.

If they had a problem with my salary, let them discuss it internally. By the way, I am very sure managers are not supposed to discuss anything on the salary part with candidates, and it is all in the hands of HR to do this discussion!

Very unprofessional!