I applied for a TA Lead position in Japan through LinkedIn and was later contacted by a recruiter regarding my application.
After the initial outreach, the process moved slowly and required multiple follow-ups on my side to understand whether the role was still active and progressing. Communication gaps often lasted one to two weeks, making it difficult to understand the status of the process.
The hiring manager initially called me while I was boarding a flight. As I was unable to answer, I declined the call and immediately sent a message apologizing and explaining that I could not talk at that moment. She replied that she would call me first thing on Monday, but that call never happened, and after several follow-ups on my side, she eventually put me in touch with a recruiter from her team. An interview was eventually scheduled. The interview itself was professional and the role appeared interesting. However, after the interview, communication again became limited and I had to follow up several times to obtain an update.
The final decision was communicated through a brief message stating that the company would not move forward with my application. While I fully respect the outcome and understand that not every interview process leads to an offer, I was disappointed by the overall level of communication throughout the process.
My feedback is not about being rejected. It is about the candidate experience. More proactive communication, clearer timelines and more consistent follow-up would have created a much better experience.