I am writing to complain about two issues. After successfully completing the first round phone interview, I was scheduled for a second round. I prepared for days, but my interviewer did not show up at the scheduled time. I waited for an hour before I finally gave up.

I emailed HR immediately. HR replied the next day, asking me to reschedule the second round phone interview. I informed them that I had several pending offers with approaching deadlines and hoped to skip the second phone interview and proceed directly to the onsite stage. The HR representative never replied, and the application process was subsequently aborted.

I felt very disrespected by the no-show and the lack of response. I am confident in my abilities and skills to request skipping a round, and I had a valid reason for doing so. I know friends who have successfully skipped the second round of phone interviews. I have also heard that some individuals have falsely claimed to have pending offers to expedite their interview process (this is an issue not unique to Pure Storage).

Furthermore, I feel I wasted a significant amount of time. I am particularly upset about preparing for the interview, knowing that the interview questions have remained unchanged for years. It seems that almost all applicants are aware of the questions for every round. Instead of preparation, the focus becomes rehearsing perfect answers.

I eventually accepted a great offer from one of the FLAG companies. As a new graduate, my interview process was challenging and lengthy, but I felt treated with respect by every company except Pure Storage.

From an engineering perspective, Pure Storage is undoubtedly a company with good products and services. However, they should invest more effort in their hiring process and ensure it is fair. If no changes are made in the future, I wish Pure Storage good luck in hiring "best talents" in the coming years with the same attitude and questions.