Several years ago, I interviewed for a software engineer role on the Canal Digital team at Telenor's Islamabad office. At the time, I had a few years of experience and easily cleared the technical round. I was then invited to speak with HR. Without any prior notice, I was informed that a manager, based in Norway and of Pakistani descent, wanted to speak with me.
What followed was one of the most unprofessional interactions I’ve encountered. The individual was brash, rude, and condescending. He asked several irrelevant questions unrelated to the role, and his tone was interrogative and unnecessarily aggressive. Caught off guard by the unexpected conversation and inappropriate line of questioning, I tried to remain composed. In the end, he told the HR representative not to proceed further with my application and asked me to leave. I was later informed that Telenor would not be extending an offer.
Since then, I’ve moved to North America and progressed in my career, working at several reputable companies. I now manage a large engineering organization with over two dozen engineers reporting to me. Having conducted and overseen numerous interviews, I can confidently say that what I experienced at Telenor was unprofessional and discriminatory. It became clear to me afterward that I had been referred by someone this manager personally disliked, and the entire conversation seemed orchestrated to ensure I failed.
To my surprise, I recently came across this individual’s profile on LinkedIn and discovered he is still employed as a Director of Engineering at Telenor. The fact that someone with such poor professional conduct continues to represent the company speaks volumes about the culture Telenor chooses to tolerate.
I’m sharing this today to provide transparency for potential candidates evaluating Telenor as a workplace. I hope the company reflects seriously on the kind of leadership it promotes. Do better, Telenor.
