I recently applied for a compliance role at ClearPay and was genuinely interested in the company, especially given their reputation and my previous experience with one of their sister companies many years ago. Unfortunately, my experience with the recruitment process was unusual and left me feeling disappointed, and ultimately like I wasn’t given a fair opportunity. After some back and forth, I had an initial interview scheduled with HR, only for no one to show up on the day. I followed up, but my email bounced back. When I checked the HR’s LinkedIn profile, it had disappeared, and I received no response from the company when I reached out directly. At no point was any explanation or apology offered for the missed interview, which made the whole experience feel odd and unprofessional. A few weeks later, while I was on holiday abroad, I was contacted again, this time by a different HR person. There was no discussion about availability, I simply received a calendar invite for 10:30am Ireland time (5:30am local time for me). I showed up anyway, wanting to give the opportunity a fair shot. That second interview left me wondering if they had realised something went wrong with the first one and were trying to fix it quickly. I don't want to assume, but the timing and lack of context felt strange. The HR seemed disengaged from the start and kept cutting me off throughout the conversation. As a person of colour, I hate that I even have to question whether that played a part, or if it was just a bad day on their end. Either way, it left me feeling dismissed and not truly heard. It felt like they were simply fishing for buzzwords rather than engaging in a meaningful conversation about my experience. When I asked follow-up questions, the HR person admitted she didn’t know much about compliance. It came across more like a box-ticking exercise than a proper interview. Unsurprisingly, I later received a standard rejection email. I completely understand that not every candidate can move forward, and that’s fine. But when someone takes the time to prepare and attend, especially after such a rocky and confusing start, it would go a long way to offer a more engaged and respectful experience. Even a short explanation or a slightly more thoughtful follow-up would have been appreciated. Overall, this process did not reflect well on the company's hiring approach. I hope they take this feedback on board and work on improving how they communicate with and treat potential candidates.