Employee completes 8 rounds of interviews, travels 6 hours and works 1 shift, is ghosted with no pay

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jul 25, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

What would you do if you underwent 8 interviews with no pay? 

That is a crazily high number of interviews just to get ghosted anyway. We all know it's a tough market out there and getting a job is not easy. Any job. But there is a certain amount of grace we should give each other so we generate good karma. Putting someone through 8 rounds of interviews, including a paid working interview, and then just ghosting them… that's not a good idea. Ghosting is never a nice thing to do, no matter who you are or what the situation is. Communication is king, and you can never expect people to respect you if you don't respect them. I think that, no matter the job or how far along you go, the recruiter or hiring manager should respond to everyone that applies. Even if it's a mass rejection, you would rather get that than get nothing at all. It's nice to let people down the easy way, and you don't want to have to put anyone through undue stress. This situation was particularly egregious, and spoke to the insane nature of job interviews these days. You can only go through so many rounds before you start making plans to begin working there. You want to give people the right idea about what they can expect, and this was not a fair route around that. The person in this story was left feeling dejected, and wondered what they could do about it. 

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  • 01
    A woman sits down at a desk for a job interview
    via Ahmet Kurt For Unsplash+

    Subjects are models.

    A woman sits down at a desk for a job interview

  • 02

    I did 8 interviews and now I'm pretty sure I got ghosted.

    I did 8 interviews (5 actual interviews, 1 working interview, and 2 "meet and greets" that were interviews in disguise) for a well-paid management position with a Fortune 500 company after losing my last job. I even traveled 6 hours round trip for the final interview. I nailed every interview step along the way and someone I know that is high up in
    via twennyjuan
  • 03
    the company said I had it in the bag. After the last interview, the VP told me I would be reached out to "in short order" regarding next steps. That was over a week ago. 48 hours after the final interview I sent an email to everyone I had emails for, thanking them for their time and allowing me the opportunity to interview for the position, etc etc.
    via twennyjuan
  • 04
    You know, the thing that all the professionals say is the right thing to do. I heard nothing back. Not even a "thank you for the email we will be in touch soon." Nothing. I reached out to the HR person yesterday because they haven't paid me for the paid, in person working interview where I spent an entire day getting a feel for what the position is. The thing I have on record as being a paid
    via twennyjuan
  • 05
    working day. Nothing. The HR person has read receipts on and I saw they read it, but heard nothing back; and they're usually very quick to reply. Like 2 days max after every interview step to inform me of what the feedback was and what the next steps were.
    via twennyjuan
  • 06
    I felt very good about my prospects for getting this job, so I hadn't applied to anything else in the meantime. Which was a failure on my part. I even dropped $500 I didn't have on a nice suit because that's what they said would make a good impression. It got me all the way to the final interview, so I guess it wasn't a waste, and I can use that for other interviews, but that $500 could have gone to help with bills.
    via twennyjuan

  • Sometimes just sharing your story with someone else can help you feel better about it. It's useful to get that information out there and off of your chest. Sometimes this solves the problem in and of itself. Even more, other people may be able to provide you solutions that you couldn't have come up with yourself. Two heads are better than one, and collaboration is the quickest way to get somewhere new. This story was a great example of someone sharing their experience so the rest of us can feel less alone. Keep reading to find out what happened.

  • 07
    Two people shake hands over a laptop at a job interview
    via Ahmet Kurt For Unsplash+

    Two people shake hands over a laptop at a job interview

  • 08

    Commenters gave their opinions and takes.

    massiveplatapus Anything over 4 interviews is a no go in my book
    via twennyjuan
  • 09
    DarthMonkey212313 There is no grace period for working interviews. If work that benefited the business, or is direct simulation, was done then payment must be made on the regular payday for the pay period in which the work was performed per FLSA. If you're trying to play
    via twennyjuan
  • 10
    nice, give them one more round of messages about payment for the working interview where you point out they missed the legally required payment deadline. If they leave you on read after that, then F'em and go to a labor attorney, state labor department or board, or if you are desperate the Fed department of labor.
    via twennyjuan
  • 11
    olneyvideo I hope the reason you have not heard is because it is summer and people are out of office. Have you followed up with the person you know there? Something along the lines of hey, it's been a week since I sat for the last interview. Getting a little anxious. You heard anything?
    via twennyjuan
  • 12
    ShookMyHeadAndSmiled If they truly do owe you money, take them to court.
    via twennyjuan

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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