Ghosted by recruiter

Ghosted by recruiter

Is being ghosted after an interview worse than being rejected? And if it is, why do recruiters do it? I was ghosted recently and for me it was a negative experience because it was a position in a company I liked a lot and I was proactively contacted by the company ( I was not looking for a job but they contacted me and presented an interesting opportunity), but not receiving even the simple rejection e-mail made me feel like I have been such a disappointment that I am not worthy even of a simple e-mail. I think it is very disrespectful and it made me don’t want to work for this company in future as this speaks about the unprofessional culture.

Why women love us:

  • Daily articles on career topics
  • Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
  • Advice and support from an authentic community
  • Events that help you level up in your career
  • Free membership, always

Share your insight

Join an authentic community that helps women support each other at work. Share your professional experience or ask for advice — you can even post anonymously.

6 Comments

Join the conversation
  1. Anonymous

    This is pretty common. You hold no value if you aren't in the running any longer so recruiters don't spend the time being professional.

  2. G C Hesse

    Majority of the Recruiters are the Millennials.....they have no concept of what kind of work they are recruiting for.....don't understand the software period.

    My suggestion is not to waste your time on an interview with a recruiter unless your know the industry inside and out.

    Always remember these people are not your friend and YOU are a commodity for making money for them.

  3. Paulla Fetzek, MSEd

    "In most cases, employers are not legally required to notify applicants that they have not been accepted for a job." (The Balance Money.com) https://www.thebalancemoney.com/do-companies-have-to-notify-job-applicants-2061588

    There could be multiple reasons why the company didn't contact you. Unprofessionalism isn't one of them. Perhaps they had to hold off hiring. Perhaps they're considering you for a different position in the company.

    I'm an interviewer at my company and in my nearly 20 years I know we haven't always contacted people. Everyone here wears multiple hats and there are times of the year we are ludicrously busy.

    On the flip side, here's one way you could stand out to them: Send a thank you note. Very few potential employees do this. I've only seen three since I've been here. The thank you note could be the final thing that tips the hiring scale in your favor!

  4. Vanda Lee

    If the OP was worthy of them reaching out with interest in them and bringing them in to interview - now they're not worthy of a follow-up? That's what's wrong with companies wanting the perfect candidate but they fall short of being a perfect recruiter.

  5. Holly Jacobs

    Ghosting is a reality along with email firings or virtual firings that leave a sense of a professional wound rather than a professional interaction. Not to worry, just like the unfriending "not" friend, or romantic interest that wasn't about romance, gather your takeaways, do a post mortem and give room in your brain for the thought that this may have been an oversight, budgets may have changed, or in fact, a restructuring changed the employment pool, and/or your recruiter may have been a part of a layoff. Don't waste your thoughts on a why that may never be answered.

  6. Vanda Lee

    They're just not good recruiters. Seriously - there's a huge courtesy difference between recruiters and great recruiters - pay attention, times have changed. It makes no common courtesy sense at all. I personally am tired of the "too busy" and "do you know how many positions we're trying to fill?" excuses... there are great qualified people out there that want a good job and are being looked over for a multitude of petty ridiculous reasons all while the companies are screaming "no one wants to work anymore" - just not true.

Fairygodboss VIP
Achieve your career goals.
Be part of the largest online career community for women to find jobs, advice, and support — for free.
Fairygodboss members