Job seeker accuses startup of ghosting, recruiter hits back with screenshots and calls him a 'failed human'; Sparks online debate

A job seeker’s complaint about not getting a reply from a startup has turned into a public debate after the company hit back strongly.

It all began with a post on X, where Ravi Kumar, a tech professional, accused a startup of ignoring his follow-up emails after an interview.

Responding to a post by the startup’s co-founder Pratham Grover, Kumar claimed that applicants were not receiving any proper updates.


He wrote, “If you are hiring for your startup and are not replying to applicants’ emails, it’s a scam alert.”

But what came next surprised many.

Pratham Grover replied publicly and claimed that Kumar had failed the interview and the background check. He even shared screenshots of some of Kumar’s old posts on X and called them “misogynistic”.

In his sharp reply, Grover wrote, “Hi Ravi, you failed the interview, were flagged during the background verification, and exposed as a misogynist. Also failed as a decent human. No surprises here. Cheers, Recruitment Team.”

In the posts shared by Grover, Kumar could be seen making fun of women asking about internships, suggesting they should “get married” and “manage a household”.

Another post showed Kumar complaining about the hiring process and calling out recruiters for sending vague, automated rejections.

The incident sparked a heated debate online. While some users agreed with Kumar’s frustration about job rejections and poor communication, others felt Grover’s response was fair and justified.

One person asked, “Why was a background check done for someone who didn’t even clear the interview?”

Another commented, “Doing background checks through Twitter is weird.”

However, some supported the idea. “Checking someone’s social media is smart. It shows what kind of person they really are,” a user said.

As the discussion continues, many are now asking, where should we draw the line between personal opinions and professional behaviour?