Rejected for living too far? Indian job seeker shares bizarre HR excuse: 'Never tell them…'
A job applicant in India faced rejection after disclosing their two-hour commute during an interview.
An Indian job seeker has claimed that they were rejected for a position after they revealed to the recruiter that it took them nearly two hours to get to their office. In a Reddit post, the user shared their disheartening experience with “the new corporate excuse” for job rejection.
The anonymous jobseeker said that they reached the company's office after travelling for nearly two hours in heavy rain for their first-ever in-person interview, only to be told by the HR representative that they were unaware of the scheduled meeting. “That was the first red flag,” the user wrote.
During the interaction, they claimed that their commute became a point of contention, even though they were previously reassured that distance wouldn’t be a problem in their hiring. “She herself had said that my location shouldn’t be a reason not to go ahead,” they added.
Things took a more alarming turn when the HR described the company culture as preferring “upfront” employees over "weaklings". “In short, she was indirectly admitting that the work culture is toxic,” the candidate added.
‘Never tell them where you live’
Once home, the candidate received a rejection email citing concerns about the commute and whether the candidate would fit into the “fast-paced, collaborative” work environment.
The post struck a chord with many online, who shared similar experiences of vague rejections. "This is why I never tell them where I live during the interview stage. It's just another reason they can reject you. And they are looking for reasons throughout the process," suggested one user.
However, many others offered insights into why recruiters prefer a shorter commute. They said that a significant commute can lead to quicker burnout, leading employees to consider leaving the role sooner. "I agree with the distance. 1.5-2 hours (3-4 hours round trip) is way too much for a 5-day-a-week job," one of them added.
