Posted on 04/24/2026 7:51:09 AM PDT by Lazamataz
In the last few years, there has been a trend by recruiters and companies to 'ghost' candidates. Ghosting is the act of ceasing ALL communication with a candidate in the hiring process. It can happen at the initial contact, all the way to final interviews. I've even heard of ghosting happening after an acceptance letter was sent!
I feel this is utterly unacceptable. I feel it is important for us all to reprimand recruiters (and companies, for that matter) and chide them when they ghost. I know, I know, they may not g.a.s., but still, I feel it is crucial for us to refuse that treatment.
To that end, I have created a template that I will begin sending to any recruiter or company that ghosts me. It follows:
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Hi _______,
I'm going to say this as respectfully as I can.
I am avoiding working with people or companies who have the approach of 'ghosting' a candidate.
I'm fortunate: I'm employed well, I am flourishing and growing in my current position. Ergo, 'ghosting' does not really hurt me.
I do understand your dilemma: The flood of candidates you get may make returning emails (etcetera) difficult. However, in today's A.I.-powered environment, I'm thinking it would be possible to at least automatically fire off rejection emails. 'Ghosting' is unacceptable in the professional ecosystem in which we live.
I'm not trying to create conflict with this email; I only hope to advise from the perspective of a candidate. Please try to take my comments in the correct light.
Thanks for reading!
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Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
A couple of days ago there was a thread that said a former federal worker applied for about 600 jobs.
Totally agree with you.
The corporations want to keep their options open in case a new hire doesn’t pan out.
I have figured out that the boilerplate “We have found a more suitable candidate” equals “You’re old.”
I understand that recruiters have a tougher job now, as A.I. makes mass-applying far easier.
Still, they can leverage A.I. to make sure people get followups.
Then A.I. can apply to A.I. and the process can be run by A.I., and it can notify you with a start date and salary independent of your attention.
In fact, maybe A.I. can report to your job. Maybe you can spin up a dozen A.I. agents and collect a dozen salaries and do it on a beach with a Mai-Tai cocktail in your hand.
I made it known I was available for the SECNAV position. Crickets. Their loss. 😂👍
This is happening in all sectors. I went through a dozen emails supplying information to a new insurance company for home and auto. They ghosted me and blocked my emails. Never supplied a quote, but simply vanished. BTW, this was one of the largest insurers in the USA via a local agency.
Oh, I'm old. I'm older than the Pharoahs.
However, I'm skilled. I'm skilled to the point that any employer would be lucky -- and delighted -- to have me.
I just used an AI codegen to refactor a repository in a way that saved about 6 to 9 months of developer time.
Wait, are you telling me a company ghosted you while you were trying to be a customer???!?
I was contacted by a recruiter and when I went to the interview for the job she was there, and we chatted first. I told her “Look, we’re all adults here. If this works out tell me, if it DOESN’T work out, I’d like you to also tell me. OK?” She agreed, stated that her firm prided itself on communications. Long story short, I was their 2nd choice, she contacted me and assured me that if this other candidate with 10 years more experience hadn’t applied, I would CERTAINLY have gotten the job. Then the next week I see that the job listing has returned. I contact her, she tells me the prime candidate didn’t take the job after all. So, I’m in then, right? She says she’ll ask and get back to me.
We’re probably 10 years post at this point, and that e-mail never came. Despite repeated follow-ups. So much for her firm’s PRIDE I guess.
I have other recruiter horror stories, but I’ll spare you guys unless you request them.
I was ghosted by President Trump when I told him I could serve as his key advisor.
...requesting!
Yes...But know I am in Florida and insurance here is a nightmare. I suspect they were arriving at an embarrassing quote and instead of replying they simply ghosted me.
A simple “Thanks but not currently needing your services.” would be nice. Sheesh! 😂👍
They are, at the same time, some of the laziest and most power hungry people in an organization. Not all of them, mind you, as there are some great organizations with great HR people out there. But the vast majority fit the commissar model.
That explains everything.
Probably. However, we do not have to accept that.
Exactly!
Ghosting has always been God’s way of saying “No, didn’t want you working for this evil company.”
Thank you God. It hurts, but You know the best for me according to your plan.
(shortened to the vernacular “F them a-holes, showed their true colors”.
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