Techie recalls 12-round Goldman Sachs interview in Bengaluru, says he rejected offer after he was asked to solve "silly logical puzzles"

A tech professional's account of a lengthy interview process at Goldman Sachs has sparked discussion online after he revealed that he turned down the opportunity after a 12-round interview and an unexpected question in the final round.

The story, shared on social media by a user named Rahul Jain, has resonated with many professionals who have experienced demanding recruitment processes at major companies.

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A long journey through 12 interview rounds

According to the post, Rahul went through an extensive selection process consisting of 12 interview rounds for a role at Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru, 20 years ago. After successfully clearing multiple stages, he was invited for what was described as the final managerial discussion. The meeting reportedly focused on compensation, expectations, and the role itself.



The candidate said the hiring manager appeared friendly and even took time to show him around the office floor while discussing the position.

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"After 12 rounds of interviewing at Goldman Sachs in Bangalore, they called me in for the final "manager" round to discuss salary etc. The hiring manager was nice. Showed me around the office floor, chatted a bit about casual stuff and we discussed compensation (which was good but not great)," his post read.

The final question that changed everything

The candidate claimed that as the meeting was coming to an end, the manager stated that he wanted to have one final question. Instead of asking about the role, experience, or future plans, the manager reportedly presented a logical puzzle and asked him to solve it.

According to the post, the user then remarked: "Almost towards the end, he said he had one more question and gave me one of those silly logical puzzles to solve. And then he said - "this is what life at Goldman is all about. You have to be always ready for such surprises".

While the puzzle itself may not have seemed unusual in a corporate setting, the timing of the question left a strong impression on the candidate.

Why he refused the job role

The professional said that after returning home, he contacted the recruiter and informed them that he no longer wished to continue with the hiring process.

He wrote: "Came back home and called the recruiter to say I didn't want to pursue further. I am sure the hiring manager knew how to handle that surprise well."

The comment quickly drew attention online, with users debating whether the manager's approach reflected the company's work culture or was simply an attempt to assess problem-solving skills under pressure.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on X. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.