Hi,

Let me tell you about my interview experience with IBM, Chennai.

I received a call from an agency stating that IBM was recruiting and my interview was scheduled.

I arrived at the interview location (DLF IT Park) around 11 am. After submitting certain documents, I was asked to wait.

Of the documents I submitted, one was the "Employment Application Form" (EAF), which contained my personal details. I was also asked to state my current and expected CTC on this form.

There was a considerable number of candidates for the interview (for different roles). After waiting for approximately six hours, I learned that the documents I had submitted, along with those of another waiting candidate, had gone missing (resumes, EAF, salary slips, previous offer letters, etc.). I was then asked to resubmit my resume.

As I was about to hand over my resume again, the other waiting candidate found our collected documents lying on another table – purely by chance.

Following this, I had a telephonic interview conducted from the IBM facility in Chennai. It seemed the interviewer was based elsewhere in India.

I performed very well, and the interviewer appeared pleased. She offered me a senior role on her project in another city. I declined this offer due to family constraints that prevented me from moving out of Chennai.

She acknowledged my decision and informed the HR representative present that I had been selected. This was also communicated to me by the same HR representative. I was told I would receive a call by Tuesday for the PDM round.

Over the following week, I received no further calls for the PDM round, except for a single call from another HR representative who inquired about the same matter – joining at a different location. I asked if there were openings in Chennai, as I would prefer to join there due to my family situation. She confirmed there were openings in Chennai but noted that the position in the other location was somewhat immediate.

On Friday, I received a call and an email from the agency informing me that my PDM round was scheduled for 3 pm on a weekday in the upcoming week.

As no other slots were available, I took a day off to attend the interview at the same IBM facility.

Upon arrival, the receptionist asked if I had received a call from an IBM HR representative. I answered no. She explained that only IBM HR would schedule the PDM round. After checking with HR, she asked me to wait.

To shorten this lengthy account, I proceeded with the PDM round that day with a Senior Project Manager (1:1). It was largely a general discussion. He asked about my project details and my role within them, and then inquired about my current and expected CTC.

When I stated my expected CTC, he mentioned it was quite high for IBM standards and asked what my minimum acceptable figure was. I adjusted my expected CTC and quoted a new amount, to which he responded, "We will try to match the best that we can do." I was also informed that it would take two to three weeks to roll out an offer letter.

I was satisfied with this outcome and departed after shaking hands.

Almost a week later, I received a call from the same agency stating that my candidature had been rejected by IBM, and they were unsure of the reason. They did mention that the reason COULD be my expected CTC.

I understand the agency is not at fault, but I still expressed my frustration, seeking a definitive answer.

My main point is this: if IBM could not meet my requested CTC, why proceed with the interviews in the first place? I explicitly stated my current and expected CTC in writing upon entering the IBM campus (recall the EAF form and my salary slips). Why then waste my time, conduct multiple interview rounds, and ultimately reject me because you couldn't match my expected salary?

I wasted six hours on the first day and took a day off for the PDM round, only to receive this result.

Unexpected question: Describe any tough scenario you faced in your project.