I am sharing my experience with the Barclays interview process.
I reached the venue at 10:30 AM, although my interview was scheduled for 2 PM. The first round started late and covered project architecture, system design, design patterns, Hibernate, and core Java concepts. I performed well, and they asked me to wait for the next round.
Around 4 PM, my second (managerial) round took place, which also went well. After that, they asked for a passport-size photograph. Since I didn’t have one, I was told it was mandatory. I had to go out, walk around 500 meters to find a photo studio, get it printed, and return—by then it was already 6 PM.
The HR informed me that I would receive a document upload email by Monday (16th Feb). For context, I was an immediate joiner, with my last working day being 30th Jan.
However, even after 17th Feb passed, I received no communication. On the evening of 18th Feb, I followed up via email. Later that night, around 8:30 PM, HR called me to ask about my current and expected salary. I mentioned a 20% hike, as I was already on a good package. They asked if it was negotiable, and I agreed. Then I was told that my candidature was “on hold,” which made the salary discussion feel unnecessary and confusing.
After about a week, I finally received the document upload email. Assuming they were proceeding, I promptly submitted all required details. Yet again, there was complete silence from HR.
I had to follow up through another recruiter who initially coordinated the interview. After further delays, I was informed that the original position had already been filled, and I was asked if I would be interested in a Senior Java Developer role instead. Considering the brand value of the company, I agreed to explore it.
However, HR then proposed a package that was 3 lakhs less than my current salary. This was extremely disappointing and unreasonable. When I declined, I was told this was based on my current or other offers and asked to reconsider within a day. I rejected it immediately.
This entire process reflects very poor communication, lack of transparency, and disregard for a candidate’s time and effort. For a company with such a reputed brand name, the experience was surprisingly unprofessional and disorganized.
One more point worth mentioning: my friend attended the interview on the same day, had a 90-day notice period, and higher salary expectations than mine. Despite an initial delay, he eventually received an offer. This clearly indicates that compensation or notice period was not the issue, making my experience even more confusing and disappointing.
Overall, the process was exhausting, poorly managed, and mentally draining. I would strongly suggest improvements in communication, coordination, and respect for candidates’ time.
