As video interviews have become a routine part of modern hiring, small technical details and on-screen behaviour are increasingly being observed just as closely as qualifications and experience. But a recent Reddit post has drawn attention to how even something as simple as device camera placement can reportedly influence hiring decisions, raising questions about how far interview expectations should realistically go in remote setups.A jobseeker shared his experience online, claiming he was rejected from a role after a panel video interview because of what the interviewers described as a “camera issue.” The candidate said two interviewers were present during the call, and one of them repeatedly complained that the candidate was not appearing to look directly at the camera while speaking.Older iPad setup led to confusionThe applicant explained that he was using an older iPad model where the front camera sits on the short edge of the device. Because of this design, when the tablet is used in landscape mode, it naturally creates the impression that the user is looking slightly away from the camera even when he is actually looking at the screen.During the interview, the candidate said he tried to adjust based on feedback by shifting their gaze toward the camera while speaking. However, he also looked back at the screen when the interviewers were talking, which again led to comments from one of them.Later, the candidate received a rejection email stating that the camera-related issue contributed to the decision not to proceed further. The jobseeker said he was surprised by this reasoning but did not feel too affected by it, adding that it made them question the professionalism of the interaction.He also mentioned that the same device had been used in several other interviews, both before and after this incident, and in those cases no one had ever raised any concern. In fact, the candidate said he had even received job offers through interviews conducted entirely on the same iPad.Reddit users question interview expectationsThe post quickly gained attention on Reddit, where users debated whether the expectation was reasonable. One user pointed out that focusing on the camera often means not looking at the interviewer’s face on the screen, which creates a conflicting expectation in video calls.In follow-up comments, the original poster clarified that the issue seemed to come mainly from one interviewer, while the second interviewer appeared disengaged and did not actively participate in the discussion during the call.Other users shared similar experiences of unusual rejection reasons during hiring processes, ranging from subjective impressions to minor presentation details that had little connection to job performance.A number of commenters suggested that the rejection might actually have spared the candidate from a rigid or difficult work environment. The general view in the discussion was that overly strict or inconsistent expectations during interviews can sometimes reflect deeper issues in workplace culture.Some users also mentioned that hiring teams often filter large numbers of candidates quickly, and as a result, sometimes small or subjective factors end up influencing decisions more than expected.The original poster also responded to some of the discussion, saying he has learned over time to manage eye contact and attention shifts during interviews, but that the process still requires conscious effort and can be mentally draining, especially in video formats where expectations are not always clearly defined.