A recent interview experience with Prudential PLC was a masterclass in what not to do in talent acquisition. I was referred by a friend for a role advertised in Singapore. What followed was a process that, to put it charitably, lacked structure, clarity, and basic candidate respect. Round one — the interviewer asked if I was open to relocating to Malaysia. The role was posted for Singapore. Round two — a different interviewer asked if I was comfortable with a contract position in Malaysia. The original posting made no mention of this. Two senior professionals participated in these discussions, yet there was no clear alignment between them on what the role was, where it was based, or what kind of engagement they were even looking for. The conclusion? HR sent a message stating my salary expectations were misaligned with their budget — despite the fact that I had reviewed the published compensation range before applying and confirmed I was within it. At no point did anyone pause to reset expectations, clarify the role, or acknowledge the inconsistencies. The process simply moved forward as though none of this was unusual. This isn't a post about bitterness. It's a genuine observation: when organisations don't invest in structuring their hiring process, they don't just waste candidates' time — they also signal something about how they operate internally. Clarity, consistency, and communication are not luxuries in recruitment. They are the baseline.