Six rounds. One question about work-life balance. Rejected in two hours.

Over two months, a candidate completed six interview rounds and a four-hour unpaid skills assessment for a role. They met nearly every team member, including the VP. At the end of the final interview, they asked what work-life balance looked like at the company. The interviewer's expression shifted. Two hours later, a rejection email arrived citing "not the right cultural fit." The candidate later checked Glassdoor: multiple reviews described 60-plus-hour weeks, weekend on-call, and a culture of presenteeism. "They literally rejected me for not wanting to be exploited," the candidate wrote.