Interview Ghosted

70 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 2:02PM UTC

   I would first show grace, and reach out. Jumping to a conclusion is not healthy. This doesn't show a hint that this workplace is toxic. It could be, but not due to this.

2. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 2:25PM UTC

   Yes this has happened to me. Very unprofessional when they don’t f/u with a reply. I understand emergencies happen but they can still follow up afterwards.Interviewing is a 2 ay street. They access you and you are also accessing them to determine if the job is a good fit for you .

3. Brenda AlvaradoMay 23,2023 at 3:14PM UTC

   Very unprofessional indeed!

   Your time is just as valuable as anyone elses AND manners are essential. I detest messaging/emails or something as important as a job interview, although I am aware it is the way of the world. For something as important as a job interview, I tend to still call the potential employee. By doing this, the employee is made aware that I took time out of my day to reach out to them. Emails are one in a bunch that the person will receive and tend to be shoved down to the 'follow up' column or spam box and who knows if it is even read.

4. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 3:53PM UTC

   For me, I would still continue to apply and interview elsewhere and remain open - meaning I let the HR manager follow up with me and offer an apology/explanation. Things happen, yes, we have all experienced that yet it is what occurs afterward that really makes the difference.

   The onus is on the HR Manager to follow up and I personally feel that sending additional communication is not warranted here and is doing too much.

5. Anne KrookMay 23,2023 at 4:03PM UTC

   it could be toxic; it could also be a mistake, or an overwhelmed recruiter. If it is a place you think you might want to be, continue to apply, but obviously don't count on it working out there.

6. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 4:27PM UTC

   Can’t hurt to contact the company again.

   But if you don’t get an apology for the ghosting episode, my instinct is that this is not a good place to work at.

7. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 6:48PM UTC

   It could've been a fake job offer. Did you give them any personal info? Keep an eye open for these.

8. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 12:22AM UTC

   They did you a favor.
   Now you know EXACTLY as they are!!

   **You deserve better!!!!**

   If it's truly an oversight on their part, let them apologize assuming they have the professional integrity to do so.

   If you really want this job (assuming it's not a spam ad), keep your expectations low.

9. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 11:47AM UTC

   Unfortunately it happens all the time.

10. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 12:32PM UTC

    Run... You dodged a bullet...

11. BethBMay 24,2023 at 12:50PM UTC

    Assume the least benign intent. Reach out to see if she is ok. It is possible that this has nothing to do with you at all. Maybe there was an emergency. Maybe she forgot.

12. Nicole DunnMay 24,2023 at 4:06PM UTC

    Let it go. I’d say you dodged a bullet. If they can’t be on time to a scheduled meeting pre employment, chances are they are even worse once you are hired.

13. Diane McDevittMay 25,2023 at 12:05PM UTC

    Pass - consider if the situation was reversed and you ghosted the recruiter (accidentally or on purpose) - that's a big red flag for the recruiter. Consider this a big red flag for you.

14. Marisol CaballeroMay 25,2023 at 12:14PM UTC

    Walk away. We overthink situations and tend to give people way too much credit. Could she have had an emergency? It's possible. She will reach out to you if she did. However, don't think twice about it. I've learned that situations like this tends to indicate their poor business practices and culture.

15. Wadiya LegetteMay 25,2023 at 12:19PM UTC

    Yes, twice by the same company. Wish there was a way to report that and if their nasty to you during the actual interview. It's wasting people's time who want to work.

16. AnonymousJuly 4,2023 at 7:24PM UTC

    Glassdoor review!

17. Kara Leigh EdwardsMay 25,2023 at 12:24PM UTC

    I was ghosted by a company after 2 interviews. ?

18. Jennifer FingerMay 25,2023 at 12:25PM UTC

    Yes. I showed up only to find that the person I was supposed to meet with wasn't there and nobody who could interview me was expected for at least half an hour. I stayed and interviewed with someone who seemed to have no clue how to conduct a job interview, and after I left, I decided that I would not accept any offers from this company if I ever heard from them again. I didn't. I should have just walked out and gone home.

19. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 12:33PM UTC

    I was recently ghosted twice by the same company Arbor Educations that contacted me to arrange a call and never called. It's annoying that such organisations get away with wasting candidate's time : (

20. lynda costaMay 25,2023 at 12:34PM UTC

    there is an extreme lack of professionalism; no basic respect and common courtesy. I have had many of these and can relate. Not sure what is driving this new behavior and why it is acceptable. But I do hear it from many.

21. Bradford McCormickMay 25,2023 at 12:36PM UTC

    Of course you "can tke a hint". But why not find out more information about it to be even better prepared for th efuture and also to build character? You have nothing to lose by stepping up to the plate and tking a swing at the pitch. be scrupulously polite but don't let this person off the hook without at least seeing how they will weasel out of what they did. Maybe they are under the impression they can keep getting away with it "scot free", so you can help them.

22. ToccaraMay 25,2023 at 12:36PM UTC

    Join the Ghostbusters club. I've had two interviews with Movie Pass. They pretty much made me believe I had the role. Ceo said the woman who initially interviewed me would be in touch. That was 4/21...? Nada. I sent two follow up emails...crickets. Some of these people are just unprofessional and we need to move on. Red flags from the very beginning so they did me a favor. Good luck to you!

23. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 12:44PM UTC

    I was ghosted 2x at the interview stage by a bank in Cape Cod. I emailed the bank president and they forwarded it to HR who was nothing more than excuses and no apologies. Not surprised the bank had ZERO diversity. If you can't respect your candidates I can assume you probably don't respect your customers nor their investments as well. I will never put my money in Cape Cod Five after that experience.

24. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 12:56PM UTC

    having been a former recruiter for several very large corporations, I can tell you a lot of things happen behind the scenes that the recruiter is even unaware of.

    One of the worst case scenarios was myself and two other recruiters were downsized and told to be gone in an hour. I had multiple candidate interviews, internal manager intakes for new positions scheduled for new jobs that were being posted and I was cut off from email to even make them aware, I’m sure no one got in touch with my candidates.

    For this reason, and for the lack of candidate care from employers, I quit recruiting after almost 40 years it’s too painful and I’m an advocate for candidates being dispositioned or communicated with, even if it’s a simple email or text message to keep informed.

    good luck to all you jobseekers, employers, don’t get it they don’t want to get it they don’t care and its too shameful a behavior for me to support.

    The cries for we can’t find talent, It’s such BS. It’s because they can’t hire professional recruiters and pay them. They don’t hire recruiters that really care about the candidate. they hire screeners. Hope they don’t train, and all the screeners are doing is may be getting your résumé in front of someone if they do even that.

    I had many grateful candidates that I kept all the emails and notes from good luck to all you jobseekers.

25. Candace VelezMay 25,2023 at 1:31PM UTC

    This right here. People don't realize when recruiters are let go they have zero time to clear their desk.

26. Betsy Ganim CowetteMay 25,2023 at 1:01PM UTC

    So frustrating! I was ghosted after 5 rounds of interviews for an executive position, by a well known recruiting firm. I agree with the earlier comments, let it go. If it was meant to be it will happen. A couple of years ago I was approached about a position that was very close to home. Then the pandemic hit, and I heard nothing. 10 months later, they contacted me again, and eventually I took the position, best job ever!

27. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 1:02PM UTC

    Yes. Last year I had an incident similar except no video interview but a phone interview.

    The recruiter had reached out to me indicating interest in my resume and wanted to further confirm an interview. It was set, I waited for 10 minutes and called the Human Resources department.

    I left a message with someone and shortly after the recruiter called me saying that there was never an agreement to a phone interview.

    The recruiter said the position was no longer available because of funding. I think the job post was to falsely show the company was good, or whatever the term is called when a company puts ads but are not actively hiring.

    I was so upset because I really wanted the position. Then, about a few days later I went back to check the ad and it was gone. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

28. GirlBossanova934974May 25,2023 at 1:02PM UTC

    When someone is a no show for an interview AND does not get back with you as to why they were a no show, it is time to take a hint! You dodged a big bullet and consider yourself VERY LUCKY! Organizations like this usually have a leadership or management problem. I call it, "The Excuses Club". The higher the person is in management at these companies, the more excuses they are allowed to make for their obnoxious behavior. No show on a call? Well, that is level 1. Just getting started. Annual reviews that are faked up so that only "the connected" get promoted, that is level 2. Bonus plans that overwhelmingly reward senior level managers is level 3. PS: In my several decade career, I have personally experienced many levels!

29. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 1:21PM UTC

    I would send a message and ask if everything is okay, that you were waiting for her after leaving work early and was worried that something happened because she didn't show up.

    Because yes, sometimes life really does happen in ways that are outside of control--hopefully this is what happened but nothing really awful. Also, sometimes something happened and people are embarrassed or feel like it wouldn't help matters if they were to reach out and tell you what happened.

    So reaching out to her gives her the benefit of the doubt (even if you are doubting her, she will see it that you are doing this) and it is also a polite way for you to let her know this mattered to you. If she has no good answer and doesn't take accountability for her actions, then you can follow up with politely telling her how you find her behavior unprofessional. There's nothing wrong with telling someone that as long as it's done in a tone neutral way.

    If this happened to me, I would do this, even if I had already decided that I wasn't really interested in the job. It's a way to gently notify that a boundary has been crossed, draw attention to accountability for bad behavior (even if it's just having an uncomfortable question thrown her way), and it's good for your self-esteem (as drawing boundaries always ultimately is, even when you feel uncomfortable doing it)

30. Candace VelezMay 25,2023 at 1:29PM UTC

    I'm going to play devils advocate here but first I'll state I'm sorry you wasted your time for an interview that was a no show.

    Unfortunately with this economic climate recruiters are the first to be let go and because of non compete contracts etc can be let go immediately without warning and all of their work just sits in limbo. The recruiter is also like you human and emergencies come up that may not warrant being able to send an OOO of reschedule notice. Now, if you see the recruiter posting in LINKEDIN and going on as if nothing happened then yes even I would be upset. Overall I get it you took time away from your day to prepare for something that didn't come to fruition but before assuming the worst consider ... the above, maybe something came up, Maybe they are fired. I assume this was an initial screening call (intro) so I would say don't let one incident hold weight on what could have been a miscommunication.

31. Marlane LordMay 25,2023 at 1:43PM UTC

    That was very rude. I have had my share of recruitment rudeness! How about the time one manager interviewing me just fell asleep for the second half of the interview? The other manager kept the interview going but it was embarrassing and morale-busting. I suspected they had someone else in mind the whole time so the manager just checked out when I walked in.

    How about the time I was headed out for an interview, only to find my car broken into and the door ajar for long enough to drain the battery? I communicated immediately that I could reschedule after the AAA arrived to charge my battery. They refused even when I emailed them a copy of my AAA receipt. As one HR professional to another, I thought I deserved more consideration.

    Since I worked in HR, I have trouble letting this rudeness go without a whimper. I never and would never be rude to a candidate before, during, or after an interview as I know how important the event is. In your case, I would call to inquire as to what happened. Maybe it was an extreme situation that can be overlooked, for example a family death. If the recruiter is honorable, apologetic, and offers a second appointment - I would take it. Good luck.

32. Dave ObertingMay 25,2023 at 3:17PM UTC

    The only defense I will make is in-house recruiting teams are understaffed and overworked. Most generally have low morale and while that is not an acceptable excuse, it may explain this type of behavior. Even in-house recruiters are human, so there may be a non-nefarious reason the interview was missed. Not following up with an explanation is unconscionable...

    Dave Oberting

    Executive Search Consultant

33. D BMay 25,2023 at 1:47PM UTC

    Same happened to me. Multiple interviews only to get ghosted. They certainly are toxic. You dodged a bullet. No loss.

34. Monica Calzolari, MBAMay 25,2023 at 1:59PM UTC

    I have had 8 Zoom initial interviews with different companies and then I am ghosted. Occassionally, I will get the HR email saying they are moving on to other candidates, but frequently no one closes the loop. It is disheartening and bad business.

    I hear employers say how hard it is to find talent. Advice: treat applicants like customers if you expect to be successful. Follow the Golden Rule.

35. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 2:49PM UTC

    Totally unprofessional altogether. I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment. Well said.

36. Thalia MoshosMay 25,2023 at 5:38PM UTC

    You might want to add for employers:

    Don't upload job ads with a laundry list of unrealistic and unreasonable expectations for a low salary.

37. Dave ObertingMay 25,2023 at 2:04PM UTC

    Is the job to die for? There may be a reasonable explanation like illness or unavoidable conflict, but it's incumbent on her to explain that to you. Most likely, they filled the position sooner than expected and your interview was a casualty of that. If the job is really the cat's meow, I would call her directly and tell her you remain interested in the position. It can't hurt. In terms of the etiquette, just on a human level, it' s horrific and is a terrible reflection on the company.

    Regards,

    Dave Oberting

    Long-time executive search consultant

38. RachelMay 25,2023 at 2:09PM UTC

    I would take it as a sign that this is not the place for you and move on. If this is how they treat potential new employees, forget it!

39. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 2:09PM UTC

    When interviewing, companies should be at their very best. If this is how they treat their candidates, it could be a sign of things to come if you were to work there. If this happened during the interview process, I would view it as a red flag and move on. If the recruiter comes back saying she lost track of time or had a meeting run over or something else work related, politely decline to continue the process. If the recruiter comes back with a specific personal explanation that you feel makes you feel it had nothing to do with their corporate culture, then, consider interviewing. Unless it is the latter it's just not worth the risk.

40. DeeMay 25,2023 at 2:15PM UTC

    As a TA Manager that is unacceptable and I am sorry that happened. Truly unprofessional and I’m hoping maybe a personal emergency came about thT hasnt been communicated to you yet. Otherwise, you dodged a bullet with this company.

41. Angela R EdwardsMay 25,2023 at 2:23PM UTC

    This just happened to my daughter...and they asked her to set up a TEAMS account and schedule the meeting....is this some kind of scam. Something about it is not sitting right with me.

42. Ann MillerMay 25,2023 at 2:58PM UTC

    Usually MS Teams isn't, NEVER set up ANYTHING in Signal or Telegram!!!!

43. Ann MillerMay 25,2023 at 2:57PM UTC

    SCAMMERS

44. Jamie CabralMay 25,2023 at 2:58PM UTC

    The same thing happened to me, but they eventually called back I might have been a little sassy. The position was for a Talent Coordinator. His excuse was that he "forgot" to put the interview on his calendar. I couldn't resist saying "Oh I can see why you need to hire this position." I know it's frustrating, but I'm sure you dodge a bullet here.

45. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 3:29PM UTC

    Human resource professionals and recruiters have surpassed lawyers in their quest to sleaze to the top. I recognize that they're inundated with resumes and the need to get "butts in seats," but the concept of treating people with respect has been lost.

    If you're interested in a candidate, and have set up a meeting, respect the appointment. If you say you're going to submit a candidate for a contract position, but you don't send the right to represent, provide an explanation. And if you interview a candidate, provide an update on the status of the candidacy.

    After the massive wave of layoffs, earlier this year, I was amused at the number of recruiters and human resource professionals on LinkedIn, whining that they'd also been laid off and somehow expected preferential treatment and help in securing their next role.

    The ability to get a job is getting more-and-more difficult with applicant tracking systems, AI-assisted interviewing and resume analysis, ghosting by recruiters, and hiring managers determination to hold out until they find the "ultimate" candidate.

46. Crystal HowellMay 25,2023 at 3:40PM UTC

    I would call, emergencies do happen. Give the benefit of the doubt.

47. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 3:41PM UTC

    Yes same has happened to me… unfortunately. She sent the invite and next day no show. I emailed her no answer so I called corporate and told them what happened and magically got a email from her saying , oh something happened but I sent you a cancellation email. Yep, she did … 1 hr before and it went to my spam.

48. amberly garciaMay 25,2023 at 4:01PM UTC

    This happened to me last week! I waited the entire time of the interview and not even an email response was sent to me.

49. Linda MoineauMay 25,2023 at 4:04PM UTC

    You could “dare to lead” and approach with positive intent.

    You to recruiter: “I waited until 5:15 for the interviewer to join and then ended the virtual session. I know it was not the interviewers intent to ghost me. I hope everything is ok. What was their intent?”

50. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 4:48PM UTC

    Yes, this has happened to me as well. Recruiters with “employment agencies” (both national and local) are the absolute worst about ghosting. I understand they’re busy but this does not excuse a lack of common courtesy.

    As an HR professional, I find this behavior appalling but there really isn’t much that can be done about it. Follow-up emails and phone calls have no impact. Personally, I now just completely avoid “employment agency” job posts. These recruiters are not worth the time or frustration.

    Hang in there - the right opportunity will come your way.

51. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 4:54PM UTC

    Personally, I would walk away from the position and thank my lucky stars. Who knows, it might be a good thing that the interview went sideways. The work environment could be toxic. Keep trying. Your right opportunity is just around the corner.

52. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 5:14PM UTC

    Things do happen people make mistakes and can get pulled away on urgent things. Not to condone this but you just don't know what might have come up. I would think about how you like to be treated - dignity and respect right? So send a note to the head of the Talent team, (look them up on LI) and cc the CEO of the company. Assuming this is internal recruiter to the company? Reiterate your strong interest in the company and let them know you would love to reschedule the interview that was originally set. Copy and paste a screenshot of the confirmed interview setting. If you get a reply, which you should focus ONLY on the content of the role, your fit for it and interest in their company, say something urgent must have deterred the meeting from happening. I would assume that the Let them apologize for the missed meeting and let it go. No one is perfect, certainly I am not you are not. Things do happen and if you take this with grace it may turn around in a good way. If you choose the other path it won't benefit you. Think of how you stay professional through this and hope it comes back in a good way.Good luck.

53. Thalia MoshosMay 25,2023 at 5:33PM UTC

    Exactly. Karma.

54. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 5:38PM UTC

    This happened to my daughter as well. But she called the company itself to make sure they were hiring for that position. The lady that assisted her was extremely helpful. She told my daughter that they have been getting scammed and unfortunately, they aren't hiring at the time. Just be careful because scammers are out there! It is sad but true!

55. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 5:42PM UTC

    Be glad you know no what a toxic place this is. Your be spared much drama. Someone should have called you to explain something one way or another. I had a manager not call me back too, won’t answer my texts, email. Completely ignored me

56. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 6:02PM UTC

    doing that to a candidate is wrong on so many levels

57. Mary Jane MadiganMay 25,2023 at 6:50PM UTC

    I get that this ghosting can happen, but you are making a lot of assumptions, without checking this out. If I would have gone this far and need a job, I certainly would call the company, if I didn't get a response to the email in 30 min. You never know what happened....an emergency, computer glitch, What do you have to lose? You might be surprised. Its five min out of your life.

58. MARI S PHONASA, CPSM & CPSDMay 25,2023 at 6:52PM UTC

    In my opinion, I would cut your losses. Yes, its a poor way to treat a potential candidate, and yes, its a sign of how things are managed internally. I would make a note a "black list" just in case they reach out again and act like nothing happened.

    I get that recruiters have a job to do, and may or may not have a quota to reach, but they really need to keep track of who they reach out to on their open roles.

    I've had a few recruiters continually send me the same email month after month even though I replied twice and or spoke with them that it was not a role for me or that I was not looking at the time. I even sent them back their emails to show proof.

    Its a total disrespect for your time that they ghosted you, and like I said, I would just cut your losses and move on.

59. TessaMay 25,2023 at 9:09PM UTC

    I don't have anything different to add than what's been said. Just another - you aren't alone. This happened to me on a few occasions (no shows, asking to reschedule about 5 minutes before the interview as supposed to take place, etc).

    There's no harm in following up one more time, but as your gut tells you, this could be a sign of toxic behavior. I recruited in a prior role, and due to my own fault missed a zoom meeting and I felt horrible. As soon I realized my mistake, I called the candidate immediately to apologize. That said, I think most quality people would own their mistake and apologize.

60. Rosa GoesMay 25,2023 at 11:27PM UTC

    Maybe she had a family emergency. I recommend you call her. If there is no other person you can contact, then move on. But be open to meeting with her if in fact it was an emergency and she reaches out to you later. Good luck to you!

61. AnonymousMay 26,2023 at 1:22AM UTC

    Years ago before video interviews. I was seated in an interview room, the guy I was interviewing with entered the room, took one look at me, said excuse me and then exited the room and never came back. After a half hour I left.

62. Tamara L BlantonMay 26,2023 at 5:16AM UTC

    I had a similar experience where I was sent by a staffing agency to interview for a position. The guy walked me into the conference room, sat me down and told me there was no job and he wasn’t sure why I’d been sent. Told me I looked nice and have a nice day.

    The agency called me about an hour later asking how the interview went. They seemed shocked when I told them what he said. Told me there HAD to be a mistake and that they were going to call the company to figure it out. They never called me again.

63. AnonymousMay 29,2023 at 4:15PM UTC

    That is incredibly unprofessional

64. AnonymousMay 29,2023 at 6:13PM UTC

    Wow, how rude!

65. AnonymousMay 26,2023 at 1:46AM UTC

    I once showed up for an in-person “final” interview for a job I had been heavily recruited for. While sitting in the lobby, I could hear the interviewer offer the job to the candidate who was before me. He offered her a salary considerably more than what was mentioned to me, and there was no question that it was the job I had gone to a lot of trouble to show up and be interviewed for. I got up and told the Receptionist I was leaving since the job was clearly no longer available, and she was embarrassed and said yes, she honestly had no idea anyone else had been scheduled as she had been told that morning that the job was being offered to the candidate whose interview I was listening to. Later the Managing Director who had recruited me called me several times to apologize, leaving me a message that he was totally unaware and that his direction had been that I was his candidate of choice and my interview was a mere formality. So possibly in your case another candidate was hired but the recruiter lacked the professionalism to inform you?

66. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 26,2023 at 3:17AM UTC

    It happened to me, I accepted her apology, rescheduled AND THEN SHE GHOSTED ME AGAIN.

67. Stephanie F, MSHRMMay 28,2023 at 2:34PM UTC

    Wow. That’s ridiculous!

    Sorry that happened to you…

68. AnonymousMay 26,2023 at 4:14AM UTC

    In my opinion, this is unprofessional and a sign of an organization that I wouldn’t want to work for. As a former hiring manager, there was a contingency plan for emergencies; I always had a colleague at the ready in case of any emergencies and I served as back up for other colleagues. Unless the organization consists of only 2 people, there’s a way for back up for emergencies. That said, I was ghosted once for a video interview - logged in early, waited about 20 minutes, then logged out. I contacted the interviewer by email and also left a voicemail, never to receive a call back or response. My time is worth something and a quick call or email to say “I’m sorry, there was a situation” is all it takes from their part. If a reasonable amount of time has passed with no response then I would chalk it up to lesson learned and move on. I’m sorry this has happened to you, and to other commenters as well.

69. MelanieMay 26,2023 at 9:41AM UTC

    Hi, this happened to me, when an on-line arranged on Google, the meeting changed times to 4 hours earlier, i re-arranged my whole day and then- nothing! when i chased i eventually found that my 'Google calendar was set to New York time (I'm in the UK) so the original time was still valid! - check your calendars especially with global companies and time zones !!!

70. AnonymousMay 29,2023 at 4:44PM UTC

    I've had this happen on more than one occasion. Once the hiring manager and the recruiter got their wires crossed and it was rescheduled. Another time it was with HR and they appeased me with an interview that sounded like a Starbuck's in the background. Other times just crickets. Chalk it up to experience and let it go.