I applied through an employee referral.

I recently interviewed for a Software Engineer role. While the technical interviewers were professional, the recruiting process was one of the most inefficient and deceptive experiences I've encountered in the industry.

• Misleading and "Ghost-Rejection" Emailing Style: Two days after the full loop interview, the recruiter sent an email titled "Thank You for Your Time Today!" filled with overly enthusiastic language ("huge thank you," "enthusiasm," "here for you every step of the way"). For any experienced candidate, this reads like a "soft" rejection template, yet it was served to tell me to wait for their result. It felt like a deliberate attempt to manipulate the candidate's expectations rather than providing a clear, professional status update.
• Pointless Sync Call for a 30-Second Rejection: Despite having the result ready by Friday, the recruiter insisted on scheduling a formal "sync call" on the following Tuesday morning. I had to adjust my own work schedule and book a private room at my current office, only for the recruiter to spend 30 seconds reading a standard rejection script. When I provided feedback that this information could—and should—have been handled via email to respect everyone's time, the recruiter doubled down, claiming they wanted to "show gratitude." There is no gratitude in wasting a candidate's productive working hours for an update that fits in two sentences.
• The Outcome: After all this "high-touch" (read: high-friction) communication, it ended in a standard 12-month cool-off period.

Advice to Management: Efficiency is a core value, but it is clearly missing in the recruiting department. Stop forcing "sync calls" for rejections. It is not "personal"; it is disruptive. If you have a decision on Friday, send the email on Friday. Respect the candidates' working hours and their professional time.

The interview featured a standard LeetCode style question, with AI available in one interview.