This has been an issue since I graduated from college many years ago and started interviewing. I continue to hear the same lament from jobseekers–even those who eventually do find employment–to this day. Unfortunately, I believe this will continue to be the case. So long as companies have the hiring advantage, we are at their mercy.
That’s not to say that companies and recruiters go out of their way to be like this; there are several factors at play, including, as noted in this piece, the volume of applications a company can get for just one position.
Also, I really think that some recruiters have problems conveying bad news, so they ignore all the phone calls, emails, etc., from applicants and hope that the applicant will go away. Which, eventually, an applicant most likely will.
Having been in the same position myself (interviewed for a job; told I was a “perfect fit”; returned for subsequent interviews; etc.), I know the situation all too well. The thing is to not take it personally. Instead, try to turn it to a positive: you got this far with a company, so you must be brilliant! Like a person who won’t return your call after a date, think of it as “hey, it’s your loss, buddy.”

I had a phone screen followed by two additional interviews with the hiring manager. Then advised I was moving to the next level (meeting his team). A month of calls and messages to the assistant went by with every excuse in the book. Vacations, meetings, travel, food poisoning, I was amazed that she had all these excuses and her job was just to set an appointment. Then I cc’d the HR manager who left this to her, and voila, I got final 2 interviews within 48 hours!
Its not always bad!

I’ve just put the finishing touches on Resume/Cover Letter #125.
Since being laid-off at the end of January this year (2009), I’ve had plenty of time to think about who I am, what I can do and where I want to go in the next level of my career. While working full-time, I also went back to school, and am just finishing up a long overdue degree in Corporate Communications. As a result, I was poised to transition into a new role with my (then) employers when the economy went elsewhere…and so did my job.
I’ve had two face-to-face interviews and one hopeful telephone interview with both the department hiring manager and the HR recruiter for one of the companies I’d REALLY like to work with. Although, the interviews appeared to go well and I was poised to go to the next level of the interview, I never heard back from any of them. I followed up with a “thank you” note/call/email, however, any subsequent attempts on my part to reach out were ignored. Although, I’m not an HR Professional, I know there are many of us qualified folks out of work and seeking re-employment, but I wonder, along with the “new economy”,is this now the “new etiquette”?
I’ve had a successful, nearly 20 year career in IT, including most recently managing information systems for my aforementioned former employers. As a wearer-of-many hats, I’ve always sought opportunities to learn and grow in any position I’ve held within a firm – I’m the “go to gal”, the “how does that work?” question-asker. Consequently, I’ve held jobs with escalating responsibilities – and compensation increases to match. Apparently, that seems to be the issue.
Finding myself in a(n) unique opportunity to finally realize my dream job and to transition out of IT and into a likely Corporate Communications position, it seems this “new economy” also includes new math. The equation being that what I made on my last job is directly related to my skill set in the job I’m applying for…hmmmm…had I known about this early on in my job search, maybe my response to the “what did you make on your last job” question would have been less direct. I’m not saying to be dishonest, but should my skill set and what I bring to the table in a new position have a direct correlation to the compensation on my last job? So, how to get around that tricky question?
One possible answer is, “This opportunity isn’t exactly like my last job, so would you be willing to talk about what my responsibilities would be here and then let’s discuss a fair salary for this job?” Of course, there are other likely answers – and questions – about the $$ issue, like, “what are your salary expectations, etc.?”
So, what about my job application #125? Well, in my book, all those “no’s” are just getting me closer to the yes! Optimism – and determination – two of my key identifiers…I’ll find my dream job…networking, asking questions, attending job fairs – and staying connected (including posting comments…like this!) will get me there. I know there’s an HR person out there, ready to pick up the phone to call me now!
However, I’m not waiting for that call or the other shoe to drop in the employment department, I’ve created my own presence: 4Paradigms. Interested in other ways to broach that salary question? Feel free to stop by my website, see what I’m doing and send me an email. I’d be glad to help in anyway.

Here is also another thought. I often wanted to call these people back and give them a piece of my mind since it is obvious that I did not get the position. Has anyone ever wanted to do the same thing? would I be wrong for that?

It is demoralizing, but I’m going to say that it may be unavoidable for the people at the other end. Support staff is often skimpy in all but the large corporations, and in medium/small ones there is often not an HR person, or if there is, that person wears a lot of hats, is his/her own support staff, and the same can be said of the dept. heads who do the interviewing. Everybody’s overloaded, screening resumes & interviewing is hugely time consuming on top of that, and the person is probably already working overtime just to do their normal full-time job. So, if you don’t hear, just assume you didn’t get the job. Move on, and don’t take it as a deeply personal gesture of disapproval. I’m sure it’s not.

It’s really frustrating and depressing out here. I was beginning to think I was doing something wrong. In the past 17-1/2 mos, I have applied for 350 jobs, been on fewer then 20 interviews, done maybe 4 phone interviews & can count on one hand the number of letters I have received in the mail stating someone else was picked for the job. I was getting so upset that I told someone that I was going to email everyone that had not responded to me and tell them just exactly how I felt, once I finally did get a job. It’s not that I am not qualified, in many cases, I am over qualified. I have over 30 years experience in one field and over 9 in a second. If I had my choice, I would rather stay home and make scrapbooks or make my jewelry, but that is not something that will support my son & I and will not pay for his remaining 2 years of college. I’ve been to 16 weeks of networking workshops put on by a local community college, attended almost every job fair there has been in my area, including the GMA job fair sponcered by Woman for Hire a few months ago. My family and friends have been supportave, but the frustration level continues to raise. Most employment agencies make you feel like a piece of crap, not worthy of any job so the real search is up to you.
Good luck everyone.

Okay, I can relate to everything being said and many of you ladies. I feel like a used car by the recruiters.

I know how that feels. I have been on tons of interview and never get a response. I always think that its something I did wrong. I never know what the outcome is.

I have recently interviewed with many others for a job. The liar said she would “get back to me in a week” I went to their website and it said the job was no longer open. It is business for me to not patronize this establishment. All they need to do is program a server to send a one sentence email thanking the applicants “but you were not selected.” What jerks

I have worked for over 25 years in HR and would never purposely leave a candidate ‘hanging.’ I read everyone’s comments and share their frustration.
Two years ago I was asked to give a presentation on Recruiting and Employment Etiquette — and in my presentation I stressed the importance of ‘image’ and ‘courtesy’ as qualities that can set an organization apart from others.
Many organizations don’t understand the role HR plays in helping to market an organization. How well candidates are treated during the hiring process can strongly influence their impression of the organization and their service or product buying decisions.
I stress to my clients that anyone who has contact with a candidate (and I mean anyone – receptionist, cleaning staff, cafeteria staff, employees, managers, etc.) must present the organization as professionally as possible. This is especially critical if the organization wants to hire people who are the best fit with the job and the organization’s culture.
On the other side, I have encountered candidates who did not return phone calls in a timely manner or at all, did not show up for interviews on time or at all and did not call, who went through the entire interview process all the way to where a job offer was accepted, and even who accepted the offer, and then declined.
Some advice to those of you who made it to the in person interview:
*At the end of the interview be prepared with intelligent questions to ask the organization. These questions should help you evaluate how well the job and the culture fit you and your needs.
*Make sure you truly understand the job — the job requirements, the upside and downside of the job, where it fits in the organization, why it is open, why the last person left the position, etc.
*Do a recap of your strengths and accomplishments and clearly link them to the requirements of the job.
*Sell yourself!
*Ask for the job! At the end of the interview you could say something like: “I believe that I am the best candidate for this job. Now that you have a good understanding of my skills, abilities, and experience, please tell me the concerns that you have about hiring me for this position. I’d like to be able to address them before I leave today.”
*Always send a thank you. Don’t lower your standards even if the organization has not been professional.
Lastly, understand that the organization has only one open position and may have 2 or 3 good candidates. A decision must be made – and hopefully it is the right decision for everyone. I recall times when the candidate selected did not really work out as well as hoped and therefore either resigned or was asked to leave in 2, 4, or even 6 months. An organization with a strong hiring process will usually go back to the other finalists at that time to see if they are still available and interested. This is another reason for organizations to treat candidates well, and also for candidates to keep a high standard of professionalism even after the interview process.

I had this big interview with a fortune 200 company. The first step was passing a phone screen conducted from the out of state headquarters. Next we sent three days of emails preparing for the interview, this time in person. I made contact with the local recruiter and followed all the normal protocol. Day of the interview I had car trouble and called a cab to get me to the interview location. Despite bad winter weather I made the interview on time. After announcing my arrival, the local recruiter stated she was not informed of any interviews scheduled for that day. She then asked me if I was a temporary hire. When I produced a copy of our email conversations over the last three days, she “remembered” and then gave me a rushed, poor interview. I left and was glad I never heard from this group again.

Pat the HR Mgr said “I have encountered candidates who did not return phone calls in a timely manner…did not show up for interviews on time….went through the entire interview process all the way to where a job offer was accepted, and even who accepted the offer, and then declined.”
So does this make it ok for HR’s rudeness and lack of common courtesy? I think what I’m hearing there is “So HR is bad but (some) candidates are worse.”
C’mon! The key thing here is the sheer frustration felt by job seekers, who are up against a wall in terms of real opportunities and their inability to get past the HR gatekeepers. It is unacceptable for any company represantative to treat a candidate in this manner, let alone HR.
The resume black hole is deep enough — throw away the shovel and treat every candidate with decency and respect. Companies need to take recruiting & interviewing out of the hands of HR and give it to the hiring manager. Compliance, federal/state reporting, training, and record-keeping belong in HR.

I had this happen recently. I had my first interview, it went well until they asked how much I currently earn and how much I wanted to earn. I’m convinced I heard them choke before asking, “is that straight pay, without bonus?” When I confirmed, I was convinced I would not hear from them again. A week later they called me back for a second interview. The interviewer kept telling me how facinated he was with my experience and answers. I sent a very nice thank you note to each of them and never heard from them again. I guess they found someone else more facinating, but it would have been nice to get some kind of response.
On another note, I applied for a job with one of the big alcohol companies. I received a letter telling me how nice it was to meet me and how great my interview was, but they have chosen another candidate. Ummmmmm, I never interviewed with them, only applied. I’m thinking they are using too much of their own product.

I had a great first and a second interview.The hiring manager told me they had already contacted all of my references and they were waiting for their replies.I am very confident that my references would have given me an excellent recommendation. The hiring manager told me to call her back on Sept 30th and when i did…no response what so ever.I emailed her and called her office and cell phone.As she had given me the cell number in case i wouldn’t be able to reach her on the land-line.It’s been a week now and needless to say i am shocked at her behavior.The organization i applied to is a top notch organization in the U.S.A.
I mean come on people i get it that the times are hard but common courtesy demands it that if you told some one to call you please respond.I was so stressed out for the two days while i was waiting for her to respond.Needless to say she never did and i just moved on.

Everything was so on track. I submitted my application on the 18th, had an email from the HR person the very next day, scheduling an interview. Had my first phone interview on Thursday – went great. Second one was scheduled the following Monday. Also went great – I spoke with the actual prospective supervisor, who told me he was very impressed with my resume and asked how quickly I could start. We were very much on the same page with respect to salary requirements. He said we’d be “speaking again very soon.” That was a week and two follow-up emails ago, to which he never responded. I hate when this happens.