Job candidate arrives at interview 10 minutes early; CEO shows up one hour later. His reaction goes viral: ‘If this is how my time is treated…’

Young job candidates are now staunchly refusing to tolerate disrespect from employers. A recent viral post described how a candidate ensured that interviews were a two-way process where both the candidate and the company assessed each other. An X user shared a screenshot of an email sent by an individual named Mohan who explained why he was rejecting the organisation - he thought his time was not being respected after the CEO arrived late.

Taking to X, a user named Sumit shared a screenshot of the now viral email and wrote, "Respect is part of the interview process and is applicable both ways..." In the email, Mohan explained he had arrived 30 minutes early for his 2:00 pm interview. The CEO had arrived more than an hour later at 3:10 pm. He did not apologise or give an explanation but just casually stated, “Let’s get started.” Mohan did not continue the interview but left as soon as it started.

He said he did it because he felt disrespected. “I felt I was being taken for granted. If this is how my time is treated before I join the company, I can only imagine what happens after I join,” he wrote. “I rejected you and your company,” he finished in triumph.

Netizens React

The post went viral, attracting over 35,000 likes and innumerable comments. One X user wrote, "Bro showed up unemployed and somehow fired the whole company.”


Another commenter recalled a job interview experience from 2006 that involved an unusually long wait. After being contacted in Madurai, he travelled all the way to Delhi to attend the interview. Despite reaching the company’s office as instructed, he was made to wait for nearly two and a half days before finally getting the opportunity to speak with the interviewers.

Once the interview concluded, an HR representative asked him how he felt about his chances of being selected. Instead of expressing uncertainty or enthusiasm, he bluntly responded that the company did not deserve someone like him. Later, when his friend contacted the HR department to find out what had happened, the company confirmed that he had initially been chosen. However, his remark during the interview had reportedly influenced the final decision, leading them to reject his candidature. Looking back, he said he never regretted speaking his mind.