Job interviews are often nerve-wracking, but what if an interview turned into an eye-opening lesson on company culture?

In a viral post on social media, a Gurugram woman shared an unexpected yet memorable experience during an interview at Zomato—now rebranded as Eternal. The woman, identified as Kashish Goyal, had applied for a role at the company but soon realized she might not be the right fit. However, since she was already there, she decided to go through with the process.

During the first round, Kashish was given a 15-minute test. It quickly became clear to her that the role required stronger technical skills than she currently possessed. She could have chosen to push through, pretend, or walk out—but instead, she took a different approach. She openly admitted to the interviewers that she wasn’t the best fit for the position.

Expecting an awkward or dismissive response, she was instead met with something entirely unexpected.

“They sat with me for 20-30 minutes, had a real conversation, and genuinely tried to understand if they could help in any way. No judgment—just a group of awesome people treating me like a human, not just a candidate,” Kashish wrote in her post.

This experience reshaped her understanding of company culture. She realiSed that culture isn’t about free snacks or stylish offices—it’s about how people treat you when things don’t go as planned.

“And that’s when I truly saw what Zomato means when they talk about their culture of ‘We, not Me.’ It’s not just words; they actually live it,” she added. That’s when she realised – company culture isn’t about free snacks or fancy offices. It’s about how

They focus on three key things:

Founder’s mindset – Taking ownership.

People-centric approach (Which includes all stakeholders across Eternal’s lines of businesses) – They made sure I felt valued during my time in the Zomato office.

Spirit of service & innovation – Looking beyond roles, genuinely wanting to help.

Despite not getting the job, she walked away with a great experience (and a cool story).