I interviewed with them for a Senior Backend Software Engineer role in the UK back in 2023. I cleared the initial coding round but was rejected in the system design. Good preparation and feedback were provided by the recruiter.

Then, in May 2024, the recruiter approached me on LinkedIn asking if I wanted to be reconsidered for a role, stating that I only needed to do the System Design round again. I accepted and was again given good preparation by the recruiter. I managed to clear the round. This is when things started to get really frustrating and annoying.

I was asked my salary expectations prior to this round, which the recruiter said they could meet. But after I cleared this round, they stated they were not going to be able to give me that salary. In fact, they offered me even less than what was offered back in 2023. I still went ahead with it as the other aspects looked good.

The recruiter then said he would arrange a team-fit interview, which was scheduled but then suddenly canceled. Then, the ghosting from the recruiter started. After a few chase emails, I was told that there was no longer a requirement for a Senior Engineer in any of the UK teams. Remember, they were the ones who approached me, not me.

I asked them to consider me for the Lead Engineer position, which was still being advertised on their careers page. I was told that I lacked certain requirements for that (very vague). So, I was told that they would get back in touch in a few weeks when there was a requirement. OK, your highnesses, I will wait.

Two months later, I was approached again, asking if I'd be open to relocating to another country. Out of the options, I said I would consider India (I have the right to work there already). I discussed the offer available and checked if there really was a requirement for a Senior Engineer, which they confirmed.

I went ahead with the team-fit interview with one of the Product Owners. It was a 20-25 minute conversation in which I was asked 2-3 questions about achievements, etc. I then received an email stating I was no longer being considered, with no further feedback given. On chasing the recruiter, I was told that it was because the Product Owner thought I didn't have recent hands-on coding experience and that I had more team lead experience!

Yes, I was a team lead six years back, and that too a technical team lead who also did 60-70% hands-on coding. He would have known this had he bothered to ask! But more importantly, for the past six years, I've been doing 98% hands-on coding on all the relevant tech stacks that they required. And even more importantly, I cleared your technical rounds! But surely, the Product Owner knows about technical abilities better than their technical guys!

And when I asked the recruiter to consider me for the Lead Engineer role (which was still being advertised) as the all-knowing Product Owner thought I had more Lead Engineer experience, the recruiter just mumbled some vague reply.

Absolutely frustrating experience ever since the system design rounds, poor follow-up/updates from the recruiter, absolutely shocking reason for rejection based on a 20-minute conversation with not enough relevant questions asked to come to the said conclusion, and an overall abject experience considering I was rejected following what is usually a formality round.

You've been warned; be ready for a horrible interview experience.

In the team fit, I was asked about an achievement that I am proud of. I was not asked to give a recent experience, just any achievement from my career, but clearly, I should have mentioned something from my recent past.