I recently had a 3 stage interview (one being an assessment) for Paralegal in a law firm. I smashed 1st interview with the recruitment consultant praising me about my knowledge of the company etc. I also did very well in the assessment and yesterday I had my 2nd interview with the Hiring Manager. It had to be via Teams online meeting. After the interview I received a generic email that I was unsuccessful, so I replied and asked for feedback. The HR lady who had taken a liking to me actually replied with the feedback, leaving me gobsmacked. Apparently the manager ''couldn't understand some of the things I said, and my accent was a barrier''.
Now, during the interview the Manager seemed to understand everything I said, and never once did she ask me to repeat myself (she seemed elderly). If she had actual issues understanding what I was saying she would have asked me to repeat myself, not immediately answer to all my questions and statements. My friends say I've been a victim of discrimination and should request a free consultation with a lawyer since I have proof of what was said. Ultimately I feel so sad and miserable, it was a really important interview and I had worked so hard for it, learning about their company as well as practicing Q&As. I spoke with the consultant face-to-face in the 1st interview and it lasted almost an hour, and she was very content with me. I am so hurt, I cried a lot and frankly feel like this is all pointless. All for less than minimum wage pay, but I did it for the experience as it was a good role.