I recently went through the interview process for a Principal Engineer role, and unfortunately, my experience was deeply disappointing. From the beginning, I was transparent about my current compensation and my expectations for a 30–40% increase, which aligned with the posted salary range of $195K–$295K. After an initial conversation with a recruiter (Heather), I moved forward in the process and went through six rounds of interviews. I took time off from work, spent days preparing, and invested a lot of mental energy into the process. After submitting my compensation expectations early last week, I didn’t hear back until I followed up. Days later, I was asked for my availability, and I called and even left a voicemail. I followed up again the next morning, only to be told that the role had been downgraded and the salary was now being considered below what had previously been discussed. This felt incredibly unprofessional, especially from a company with a 100-year legacy. Changing compensation expectations at the end of a long interview cycle, without proactive communication, shows a lack of respect for the candidate’s time and transparency. I remained honest and clear throughout. Unfortunately, that same transparency was not reciprocated. I hope the company reconsiders how it approaches candidate communication and respects the effort put in during these lengthy interview processes.