My experience with the hiring process was mixed. Before the interview process began, HR discussed compensation expectations and specifically asked for my minimum acceptable salary. After sharing my expectations, I was moved forward in the interview process. The technical interviews themselves were professional and relevant to the role. The interviewers asked questions on Node.js, databases, backend development, and system design, and the discussions were generally positive. However, the overall hiring process lacked consistency in communication. There were significant gaps between interview rounds, and I often had to follow up to receive updates on my application status. At one stage, after waiting for feedback, I received no clear communication for about a week and was later contacted again for an interview round. This made it difficult to understand the status of my application and plan accordingly. The entire process extended over approximately 20–25 days, involving multiple interview rounds, follow-ups, and compensation discussions. As a candidate actively exploring opportunities, this represented a significant investment of time and effort. After completing the interview process and waiting for updates, I was informed by HR that the company was considering two candidates for the position. According to the explanation provided, the other candidate accepted a lower compensation package, and the company decided to proceed with that candidate instead. While I understand that companies have budget constraints and business considerations, this outcome was disappointing because compensation expectations had already been discussed before the interview process began. Given the length of the process and the multiple rounds involved, it would have been beneficial to have clearer budget alignment and decision-making earlier in the hiring cycle. My feedback would be to improve communication timelines, provide more proactive updates to candidates, and ensure compensation expectations are fully aligned before conducting multiple interview rounds. This would help create a more transparent, efficient, and candidate-friendly hiring experience. The hiring process and communication could have been handled more effectively.