Recruiter blows up at job applicant for missing job interview. Only one problem — no one told him about it

There's a fine line between unreasonable conduct and blatant disrespect—especially when it comes from HR, the very department that represents an organization. A job applicant—who goes by u/ver03255 on Reddit—shared a harrowing ordeal they faced during a job interview. After a messy recruitment process, the applicant was unfairly scolded by HR for missing an interview they were never informed about. With a polite explanation, they skillfully dodged the bullet.

The candidate applied for a fully remote managerial role, overseeing and mentoring a team of creatives. After passing a “skill assessment test,” things took an unexpected turn. A day later, the HR associate called them out of the blue—but this wasn’t just a casual chat. It turned out to be their first interview, one they had never been informed about. “They did not email, message, schedule ahead, or check in if I'm free at that time, just went straight to the discussion,” the applicant wrote.

Thankfully, the person had sound experience in socializing and communication, so they were not “too frazzled” in the interview despite the lack of preparation. After the call, the candidate didn’t receive any response. They used this time to apply for other jobs and ended up getting three job offers. A few days later, the same HR representative called again—this time sounding "furious" and "extremely mad"—demanding to know why the candidate had failed to show up for the final interview. “I tried interjecting, but she just went on her tirade and talked over me. She was going on about how it was extremely disrespectful of me, how I wasted their time, how I made the CEO and COO wait for me, and how rude it was of me not to cancel if I wasn't going to show up,” the applicant explained.

Undeterred by the unreasonable behavior, the candidate took an intelligent approach to handling the situation. They explained to HR that they “never received any email or message about the interview.” They told her to “check things on their end” because the last message they received was a note of thanks that followed the first interview. After politely ending the call, the candidate was left feeling “extremely put off by their unprofessional recruitment process.”

A day later, the candidate received another call, this time from the company’s “HR Head,” the boss of the previous HR. The head “profusely apologized” on behalf of the other HR’s behavior. She explained that their team reviewed the recording of the previous day’s call and was “alarmed by the other HR’s behavior.” She confirmed that there was indeed a “mix-up” on their end. The reality, in fact, was that the CEO himself considered the candidate a “big catch” for the company. “Based on my educational and professional background, employment history, portfolio, the assessment test and the initial interview recording,” the CEO had picked their name as a primary candidate and was looking forward to meeting them in their final interview. So, the HR Head confirmed that the other HR person “messed up” the entire process.

The HR person was supposed to maintain constant communication with the candidate and update them regularly on the hiring process. However, when the entire team reviewed the call, they were shocked to discover that no update was communicated by HR to the candidate. When the candidate didn’t show up for the final interview, the CEO asked the team to check up on them, which, ultimately, led the team to review the recorded conversation. The HR Head repeatedly apologized to the candidate, sharing that the HR associate would face “disciplinary action” for her misconduct. She asked if they’d be willing to give another shot and appear for the final interview. The candidate politely declined, telling her they were already on their way to accepting an offer from another organization.  

People on the platform jumped in to reassure the candidate that they did the right thing. Many of them called the HR person a “bad apple” who not only spoiled the recruitment process for the candidate but also ruined the company’s reputation. Others said the candidate nearly had a close shave because joining this company would have caused even more unpleasantness for them. “No way you want to be employed at a company with that HR person, that's a 'them' or 'you' situation. Can you even imagine having to deal with them frequently,” said u/Drix22. u/bronxricequeen wrote, “Whether you did or didn’t receive the invite, it was incredibly unprofessional of that HR person to call and berate you. So glad you said no. Imagine what working for them would be like if this was the hiring process?”

Others reflected how the company’s HR Head handled the situation relatively well. “The HR Lead calling and profusely apologizing was great outreach on their part,” said u/floaded93. In a comment, the candidate shared, “I really don't get why companies treat applicants this way. They want respect and professionalism but don't reciprocate. Well, the best we can do is move on.”