A Reddit user's recent account of a prolonged interview process that ended in a bait-and-switch over remote work sparked outrage and a sprawling conversation about the costs and ethics of modern hiring.
The post, titled "After 6 interviews and a project, they surprised me with the question: ‘So, can you relocate?’" garnered more than 5,000 upvotes and 252 comments on the r/jobhunting subreddit. It detailed an misleading interview scenario that recruiters and job seekers alike say is becoming frustratingly familiar.
A Shocking Reveal by the Hiring Manager
The original poster, who did not name the company, described being contacted by a recruiter for a "mostly remote" job at a SaaS company. The role required coming into an office located four hours away just two days a month, a condition the candidate said they were "completely fine with."
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What followed was a grueling process of six interview stages and a five-hour take-home project. The poster wrote that they were initially hesitant to invest so much time. But they were reassured when a department vice president called to personally assure them of the company’s serious interest, claiming the poster was a top candidate.
"It was all a lie," the OP wrote.
On what was expected to be a final call, a hiring manager asked if the candidate could relocate because the company had suddenly decided the job had to be in-office. The OP was shocked, replying that the salary was insufficient to move their entire family and reminding the company that it had initiated contact knowing their location.
"All I got in response was, ‘Hmm, we’ll look into it,’" the user wrote.
Days later, a recruiter called to say the company had decided it needed someone in the office four days a week. "A bunch of clowns," they wrote. "I wasted so much time away from my family for a job you were never seriously considering me for."
"This job market has become a joke," they wrote in conclusion.
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Outrage and Advice from Commenters
The story struck a chord with commenters, with the top response calling the situation sickening and accusing companies of "taking advantage of market conditions to get free insight from good and experienced professionals like you," one commenter wrote. "You were scammed by this organization."
Other commenters echoed the sentiment that the candidate was exploited for free labor. "Sounds like you got played. They got a project completed for free," one user wrote. Another advised, "Never do a take home assignment without being paid for it."
Several comments argued that the extensive process itself was a red flag. "The 5 hour project and the 6th interview would have been one too many red flags. My time costs money … You've learnt a valuable lesson here," one response read.
Another commenter, who identified themselves as having experience in recruiting, agreed based on their insider's perspective. They suggested the situation signaled "huge red flags about the company’s internal communication and respect for candidates," they wrote. "You likely dodged a bullet here, even though it feels incredibly frustrating now."
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A Reflection of A Broader Trend?
The discussion expanded beyond the single incident, with many users decrying a broader trend. "That BS has to stop. The job is remote but ‘wink wink' it really isn't. They do this to generate more candidates… And there's bewilderment why people hate corporate America," a commenter wrote.
Another commenter shared a similar story from several years prior, involving multiple interviews and a flight to another city, only to be told the job required relocation after repeated assurances to the contrary.
Many replies pointed to the overarching phenomenon of "hybrid creep" and return-to-office mandates. "Jobs are going back to in office now. Move or get something near where you are," one commenter wrote. "There is a real risk that any remote job you get will become an ‘in office position' at some point before long."
The collective frustration highlighted a growing sentiment among job seekers professionals: that the power dynamics in hiring have shifted, allowing disorganized or disingenuous companies to cost candidates significant time and money — with little recourse for candidates.
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