Candidate goes through 6 months and 8 interviews, walks away before final round and gets higher paying job offer: 'Some companies just can’t help themselves'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Sep 27, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

There's something about the modern hiring process that feels less like finding a job and more like running an obstacle course you didn't sign up for. Companies call it "due diligence," but really it's an unpaid marathon where candidates burn through hours of prep work, take-home assignments, and Zoom calls that drag on for months. By the end, you feel like you've earned a degree in corporate patience rather than an actual paycheck.

I know because I've been there. A while back, I was job searching and kept getting handed absurd requests. One company gave me a take-home project that took several hours and paid only fifty dollars. Another wanted me to drive a few hours each way for an interview for what was supposed to be a remote job. And more than once, I was told there would be "just two rounds," only to find myself stuck in round five, smiling politely through another panel.

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  • Which is why this job candidate's story felt so familiar. Six months, eight interviews, multiple false promises of an offer — and in the end, they walked away for a better job. 

  • Cheezburger Image 10558325248
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

  • "Let the hiring manager know I no longer wanted the job because of their ridiculous interview expectations"

    Decided to share my experience. I was in the market for a new role, and a position that sounded interested popped up.
    via fenix1230
  • I applied, and even had a personal referral reach out to the hiring manager who knew him.
    via fenix1230
  • Had a call with HR, said I was perfect. Met with the hiring manager, said he loved my background even though it wasn't 100% exact, he knew I knew I could do the role with no supervision needed.
    via fenix1230
  • I then meet the SVP, who says I'm what they're looking for. Fast forward, over 6 monthsc 4 rounds, and 8 interviews, with other VPs, Presidents, etc, and twice telling me an offer is coming, I get told that they want me to meet another business unit President.
    via fenix1230
  • During this time, I started an interview with another company 3 months after my first interview with them, and got an offer in 2 months after the first HR call.
    via fenix1230
  • I had finalized all background checks by the time the first company asked for my "final" interview.
    via fenix1230
  • Cheezburger Image 10558325504
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

  • I send an email to the hiring manager and HR that said "I sincerely appreciate the time and effort you've put into my interviews, but after 4 rounds and 8 individual interviews over 6 months, and being told I'd get an offer twice before being asked to interview more people, I respectfully withdraw my candidacy at this time.
    via fenix1230
  • The hiring manager emailed me ten minutes later saying it's just one more interview, and I emailed back that I'd only be willing to interview if they beat my current offer.
    via fenix1230
  • And I was open, let them know the title, higher than the hiring manager who would have been my boss, compensation, for sure higher than who would have been my boss, and the sign on bonus.
    via fenix1230
  • The hiring manager said "sounds like you got a great deal, sorry it didn't work out." The kicker, I just found out he got laid off.
    via fenix1230
  • Seriously, some companies just can't help themselves.
    via fenix1230
  • Significant-Dig-8099 That's ridiculous. I once did 5 interviews and they didn't hire me. I felt like so much time had been wasted. 8 is next level. What fools. Sounds like we both dodged bullets though.
    via Significant-Dig-8099
  • Mine never told me the wage until interview 5 and it was not good. They said they were hiring internally instead.
    via Significant-Dig-8099
  • DeadMetalRazr I remember the days you'd submit your resume, get an interview, and get hired. All in a few days. This culture is ridiculous.
    via DeadMetalRazr
  • Parking-Pie7453 6 months is absolutely asinine. I understand the need to meet several executives & c-levels but most places I've worked had 2 or 3 rounds. Thankfully, you didn't give them free work in a 'presentation'.
    via Parking-Pie7453
  • BoogerPicker2020 This. More folks should be proactive in these similar situations. It pains me to hear folks are going thru multiple rounds of interviews. If companies can't come up with a better streamlined way to hire candidates, people ought to stop applying to them.
    via BoogerPicker2020
  • Huge_Road_9223 As much as I need work, and need the money, I ALWAYS ask the recruiter what the hiring process is like.
    via Huge_Road_9223
  • I make it ... crystal, clear .... that if this is over 3 interviews, I am just NOT interested in being a monkey jumping through their hoops.
    via Huge_Road_9223
  • Yeah, I know these companies keep saying there is no talented people out there, but their full of sh! What their really saying is that these workers have too much self-respect for themselves to be treated like our little dance monkey for peanuts.
    via Huge_Road_9223
  • NOW, the OP, should NAME and SHAME the company that put him through such a debacle. I did that with anoher company, I NAMED and SHAMED them, and their HR people came to be asking for a meeting. I told them I didn't give away free hiring advice, so asked them for $200/hr... they declined.
    via Huge_Road_9223
  • Call out stupid companies and embaress them, it's the only way they'll learn. Lots of companies have established a reputation, a bad one, and then it shows when they don't have the people to get the work done.
    via Huge_Road_9223

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job offer salary canidate job hiring manager panel work ridiculous workplace company interview karma
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