I'm a Hiring Manager – These are the 4 Lies Hiring Teams Tell Candidates All the Time
Are you often feeling misled during the job search process? You're not alone. At Fairygodboss, we've written countless articles about what's wrong with the modern job search — with its lack of transparency often ranking in first place. Thankfully, Karen Condor, a former hiring manager and HR expert with USInsuranceAgents.com, offered up her insights to break down some of the secrecy.
Condor has experience conducting interviews and making hiring decisions, and she knows the lies that are often told to job candidates as they're searching. Here are four of those lies, why they're told and what they mean for your job search.
1. "We’ll let you know our decision."
Does your interviewer promise to follow up with you once a decision's made? According to Condor, they may be bluffing — but there are no hard feelings.
"We can be well-intentioned, but the sheer amount of applicants coupled with the lack of time to devote to follow up with each of them has caused this promise to become an untruth," she said.
2. "We’ll keep your resume on file for future opportunities."
If you're rejected from a job but told you're on file for something else, chances are, you need to move on — or, at the very least, be proactive and reapply to be considered.
"Yes, the resume is retained, but it essentially goes into File 13," Condor said. Hiring professionals usually see following up for a different role as a waste of time for a variety of reasons, she went on to explain.
"Nine times out of 10, if you do contact someone from a resume that’s been filed away, the candidate will have already moved on to another opportunity. And remember, there is a reason you didn’t hire them in the first place."
3. "Your salary is based on your experience."
Unfortunately, money decisions during the hiring process aren't as in your control as you may expect.
"With budgets so tight, salary is more and more based on what is budgeted by top executives, and there is no room for negotiation," Condor said.
With this in mind, be sure to apply to roles that offer a pay band that fits your needs; don't shoot for low-hanging fruit and expect to be paid more than is advertised.
4. "We’re looking at several candidates."
Sadly, there are many sham interview processes in today's job search, Condor points out.
"Many times, employers are looking in name only. They already have someone in-house in mind but they are going through the motions of a candidate search because they are required to do so," she explained.
If the interviewing employer offers no timeline during the interview and fails to follow up afterwards, it may be time to move on.
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