There were four rounds that happened over a span of 5 months and after every round there was a long delay. I had to follow up several times and the HR was kind enough to share the positive feedback provided by the interviewer s.
The first two calls were setup on consecutive days with the US team members and then the third round was setup with another senior member from the US team after 2.5 months. There was also another open profile for a manager role that was simultaneously open around that time for the same location.
After the third round it felt like things would close but they kept delaying it stating that the US team needs more time to make a decision. I was told that I am being strongly considered for the role. After another 1.5 months I got to know that the senior member has joined at the IN location and wants to have a sort of an alignment call who had joined that very weak. That experience with them was totally different from the first 3 rounds. It was a full blown technical round and the questions were centred on a small topic. The other aspects of the profile were not even discussed. It felt like there was no feedback shared with them about the last 3 rounds and there was an apparent total lack of coordination between the US teams and the newly hired manager. This gave me the idea that the profile is not for an in house role and are rather gonna be very highly dependent on the decision made by the US team. After that I was told that there is a hiring pause which they are working on solving and will come back to me. Then there is total radio silence. I can still see that the posting is still open.
TLDR
Pros:
Qualcomm has a strong reputation as a global company.
The interview process initially felt structured, with multiple stakeholders involved.
HR was responsive in scheduling interviews and answering queries in the early stages.
Cons:
After several interview rounds (including with the US team), the process ended with a lack of clarity.
I was told I was one of the top candidates, yet the communication later shifted to a “hiring freeze,” while the same role was reposted publicly.
The new manager seemed unprepared during the discussion, focusing on narrow technical questions rather than assessing overall fit.
Candidates are left in limbo, with no firm timelines or transparent updates on where they stand.
Advice to Management:
Respect candidates’ time and effort by maintaining transparency in the hiring process. Inform candidates why the process is taking long like waiting for other roles to get filled If there are changes — such as a freeze or a decision to move in another direction — communicate them honestly rather than leaving applicants uncertain. This not only protects the company’s brand but also ensures candidates walk away with a positive impression, even if not selected.