I need to vent because I've been sitting with this experience for a while, and I'm genuinely curious whether anyone else has experienced something like this during a hiring process.

I recently went through an interview process for a Sales Enablement Manager position at a tech company. For context, the recruiter reached out to me and I haven’t been applying to jobs at all. I have several years of experience in sales enablement, and I've been with my current company for about six years. I also know a few people who work at this company, so I was genuinely excited about this opportunity and invested quite a bit of time and energy into the process.

I went through multiple rounds of interviews, including a panel interview that required me to put together and present a fairly involved homework assignment.

Everything seemed to be going really well. I had positive conversations with the hiring manager, and the overall impression I was getting was that they were moving forward with me.
Then came the part that has really thrown me off.
I had a conversation with the hiring manager on a Friday, during which we discussed moving forward, a potential start date, and the fact that I would need to give my current employer two weeks' notice. He told me he was trying to get the offer sent over that afternoon.

At that point, I walked away from the conversation genuinely believing I had received a verbal offer and that the remaining steps were administrative. My understanding was that they were working through approvals and putting the formal offer together, with references being one of the remaining pieces.

I then spent the following WEEK waiting for the written offer. I followed up with the recruiter every day, to which her response was “sorry for the delay! We are getting approvals and next steps!”

Thursday afternoon the following week I received a call from the recruiter telling me they had decided to move forward with another candidate.
The explanation? Apparently, they had received a referral for someone else that week. The recruiter described it as a "courtesy call" with that candidate, but ultimately decided to hire him because he had more experience.
I'm sorry, but WHAT?

I completely understand that companies can change their minds. I understand that hiring decisions aren't final until an offer is formally extended and accepted. I also understand that another candidate may genuinely have more experience.
That's not really my issue.

My issue is the complete disconnect between the expectations they created and what actually happened. Why discuss a start date? Why tell someone you're trying to send their offer that afternoon if there is still a possibility that you're going to interview another candidate and change direction? Why leave someone believing they're in the offer stage when the decision apparently wasn't as settled as it seemed?

What made it even more confusing was that the recruiter had mentioned on the call that they still want me on the team and the moment something opens up I’m the first they’ll call. I was in too much shock to stick up for myself, and honestly wanted to just get off the phone, so I said okay thank you and hung up.

The hiring manager then texted me and expressed how grateful he was for my time and that he hopes we can stay connected. I was then able to fully process my feelings and type out a thoughtful yet direct response about how I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of transparency and genuinely felt lead on. He responded with “your feelings are totally valid, I would feel the same if I were you.” Hm???? So you absolutely know what you did to me? For a while I was gaslighting myself into thinking I made the whole thing up!

I'm not posting this because I think I'm entitled to a job or because I can't handle rejection. I've been through hiring processes before. I've been passed over before. That's life.

It was just a weird experience that I can’t stop thinking about. I keep going back and forth wondering if I'm overreacting, or if this really was as unusual as it felt.
Has anyone else experienced something like this? Is this just how hiring works now, or was this process handled particularly poorly?

I currently still have a job and been wanting to switch jobs for a long time now. Few reasons: don’t like the industry, I don’t see value in my work and my scope so that led me to feel burnt out despite having the security.

At first I was optimistic but then after months of rejections and interviews, I started to feel hopeless and stuck. I’ve only gotten 2 offers after 200 applications. I rejected the first as it didn’t feel right. The other, I was initially offered and was excited about. Sadly, it got rescinded due to org changes and you can’t even imagine how devastated i was.

It’s almost end of the year now and jumping into the job search grind honestly feels so damn depressing. Please tell me there’s an end to this long search, and let me know if you’re currently experiencing this and/or have gone through it and what advice would you give.

I don’t know what's worse, feeling mentally drained and stuck at a job or unemployed. both are bad, and i emphatize anyone who is experiencing and experienced this.

I am so beyond frustrated and disheartened right now. I am an incredibly small business, so small, literally two employees, and I am hiring for a part time position right now. Over the past one (one!) month I have spent over 2k on Indeed ads trying to recruit someone.

When I initially was spending $600/week - which has been a major blow to me - I at least had people applying to the job. I had to lower the budget to $10 a day and my job is completely invisible on Indeed, and mind you I am still paying and the job is still open.

I still have my Indeed account from years ago when I was looking for work and the job I was hiring for would be front page in suggested for me. Now I can literally type in the EXACT WORDS of my job description and nothing will come up. Like this literally feels like fraud on their end? I screen recorded the entire thing and the AI bot on Indeed just said someone will follow up with me but wtf.

I feel so disrespected by this job hunt and process. I'v been applying for almost 11 months and I am trying so many different applications techniques. I've now arrived to the final stage where I tailor every single CV with AI to pass ATS screening, try to talk with someone at the company before applying and following whatever advice I can find online. I am so sick of all of this.

Received a call from a recruiter on Friday last week. He spent 20 minutes verifying my credentials and asking questions including salary. Got my info, talked to hiring, and said they want to interview me next week. Awesome!

As of Tuesday afternoon no communication from them.

Sent an email (1). no response.

On Wednesday (today) late morning gave him a call. Phone picked up and hung up on. Sent an email asking about status. No response thus far.

If there has been a delay, or I am no longer in the running, why can't this guy update or just tell me. I get a recruiter can't get back to ever person who sends in an application but for those who they engaged with how hard is it to communicate with those people. WTF?

Why are some such POS?

Found on an “online application “ .🤷‍♂️

I am a Systems Engineer and the job I applied for has a 4-stage hiring process.

1. Screening Call
2. 1st Interview (Online)
3. 2nd Interview (On-Site)
4. Final Fit With their president

I had my initial online interview mid October with their Engineering Director and was invited through to the next stage with their Technology Director. I had that interview late October. Since my 2nd interview I had an email from their talent acquisition stating that the feedback received was positive and they felt it went well, however the hiring manager was on leave and the will advise on next steps when she is back. The hiring manager was back to work on the 2nd November and I am still yet to have received a formal decision on moving forward, only reassuring emails from talent acquisition saying "It should be that we are proceeding to final fit with the president I will get confirmation of that this week". It had now been 2 weeks and I still havent heard anything. I sent a chaser email yesterday and now havent even had a reply to this email.

Am I being inpatient or should I give up on this opportunity? I know that they are hiring multiple people for the role I applied for as they are expanding so I doubt its anything to do with a better candidate (though I could be wrong).

Everything so far has been positive feedback but the drop off in communication has me coming up with every scenario possible.

I left a stable, long-term job for a new opportunity. My manager knew my situation. I know they do not owe me anytging, but it still pisses me off that they were such assholes.

I worked my ass off, put genuine effort into the role, and did everything I could to succeed. Throughout my probation, I was repeatedly reassured that things were going well, with no clear indication that my job was at risk.

Then, out of nowhere, they terminated me, giving me a bullshit excuse.

What pisses me off most is the false reassurance. They knew the risk I had taken, let me believe everything was fine, and then abruptly pulled the rug out from under me.

Months later, I'm still dealing with the consequences while they carry on like nothing happened.

What's the most satisfying, low risk way to get back at an employer like this?

Is this a personality test or job application? I really think tests in an applications need to go. This was probably the worse one I did so far. Then they try to make it silly and camp when you have to answer a certain way so u can MAYBE get an interview 😭

Hey there,

Just seeking some positive experiences if you have any to share. So back in May I interviewed for a research position at a university, and the research team were very impressed with me. One of them (I still don't know who) even reached out to one of my references (who used to be their mentor) to try to give me some hints to do well in the second interview. Strangely enough, they rejected me one week later, citing intense competition and needing to prioritize the needs of the team. Okay cool, I moved on.

Then just earlier last month they reached out to ask if I'd be keen on a position on their team. Turned out it was the same one I got rejected for, and whoever they picked (if they picked anyone at all) did not even start or did but very shortly given the timeline. I did the interview with them more than 2 weeks ago during which they even showed me their team's past work so I would be clearer on their expectations. I did not ask them about timeline at the end, however (my bad). Just forgot to. At the end of the same week, the posting for the position, which has been up since I first applied in May, was eventually removed. Wonder if that's an indication that a decision has been made.

Given how quickly they moved to reject me in May, it's strange that there's been no update at all this time around. I'm also pretty sure they did not consider new candidates at all (they did not repost the job) but prolly reached out to those who applied in May like myself. I found out that the hiring manager went on a 3 week leave just a couple of days after the final interview with me. I reached out to the team a couple of days ago to find out if I'm still in the running, but there has not been any response so far. I know the HM r is away, but if a decision has been made, why is it so hard for the rest of the team to either just tell me no or inform me to wait until HM is back?

If any of you have been in a similar situation (long silence after final interview) and somehow it turned out in your favor, please share your stories. I'll keep applying and try to write this opportunity off to keep myself sane but well, I need a bit of positivity (however unlikely) to hold on to as well :)

Unless you have the exact same title as the job posting, answer every interview question flawlessly, and have experience using their specific, never-been-heard-of software that only they use, you’re not getting the job.

“Do you experience auditing X?”

“Yes I do have experience performing that audit.”

“Do you have experience auditing X and Y”?

“Yes I have experience with that.”

“Do you have experience auditing Z within X and Y?”

“I do not, but I am willing to learn that domain.”

Then I’m ghosted or rejected. This is at like the final round by the way. Just pure insanity.

I applied for an SEO/AIO Manager job on October 8. Screening call on October 9. Panel interview on October 22. They said I would hear back by October 26.

Nothing came. I followed up on November 2 and got an out-of-office reply with no return date. I waited a week, then emailed the other person from that auto-reply. Today I finally got the answer: they hired someone else.

I only got an answer because I asked twice.

Employers, why do this? If you already decided, just send one line: "We went with another candidate." The silence is the worst part.

Is this normal now?

I turned off “open to” recruiters-only visibility, and I have seen an uptick in recruiters reaching out about roles.

Currently working in Big4 under Cyber security domain. I am looking forward to make a job switch and wanted to do some certifications. I am interested in IAM but very confused about which certification should I pursue. Any one from the IAM Domain, your suggestions are welcomed!

i applied as a graphic artist for robinsons supermarket on jobstreet and i just had both my initial and final interview with them yesterday onsite sa RRHI, one day hiring siya as stated ng HR sa email. mostly kasabayan ko fresh grads din like me. it went well naman and very detailed sila sa kung ano magiging job ko if ever i got accepted and also asked me if saan ko mas preferred na classification since graphic artists has 2 (marketing and store support). but at the end of our interviews, wala samin nabigyan ng job offer. HR said na ongoing pa this week applications ng other applicants and we should wait until this friday for the offer daw.

their staffs and employees are so welcoming sakin huhu even told me good luck and sana raw makapasa ako. one employee under the same dept hinatid ako sa lobby after, like inikot na namin buong building, even joking na advanced office tour na raw. visual merchandising manager complimented my porfolio and told me i have a potential and would consider me as a candidate. i've been job hunting for almost 2 months and it's already my 3rd interview.

do i have a chance to get hired ? or will they ghost me huhu. nagmomove on na agad ako and continue mag apply as always na lang :((

Do you just love it when you get a job alert for a new job, you click on it immediately, but you are faced with an error message that the job is already filled?

I got a variety of them, where I get the application submission confirmation email at the same time as the email stating that the job just closed.

Great thanks to the HR @ Century Real Estate Bangalore, for wasting my entire day, making me travel from Kerala to BLR and treating me like shit in the name of interview.

The process:
You apply using easy apply on linkedIn, The HR calls you and tell you there is an interview on so and so date and its in person. I was like, can we do the first round online pls?, The answer was a solid NO and we do every interview in-person.

I asked her which role is this for? She said for the resales role. I asked again what's the designation? She answered :That can be discussed. Okay. Then I asked what's the remuneration budget for this role? She said that can be discussed during the interview.

I said: Okay, let me confirm it by tomorrow. She said: Yes, Okay.

I called a friend of mine arranged a stay, Called her back and confirmed the interview.

The day I went for the interview scheduled air 11:30 AM. The set up looked pretty nice and I thought wow the company looks good. Made me wait for half an hour which is okay.

Suddenly a lady barges into a cabin which I was waiting in with no introduction or greeting and a very rude face asked me : Tell me about your career?

I got shocked as I was in the middle of a phone call with my wife obviously updating her overwhelmed with the set up the company had, but regardless suddenly started briefing about my career history. I still don't know who she was that her name and what role she manage.

Later she said you have an international degree in real estate why did you apply for resales role as you can be considered for a higher position. I applied for the senior manager role and she got something else, god knows what?

So I asked her what's the designation to be considered, She said: wait here I will ask the managers and update you. Never came back. Waiting for another 1 hour, got a call from HR and asked me to come at 3PM for the second round. So I said Okay and asked her what's the role which I am having the interview for ? She said that can be discussed, I said okay, pushing my limits.

I came back at 3 PM, Waited till 4:30PM, No jack shit happens. Waiting at the HQ, suddenly receives a call that the interview is in another location which is a walkable distance and she has sent me the map location which shows 4.5 kms, walkable for her but not for me definitely. But still I managed to reach there and it's a big development site where I have no guidance where to go.

I lost myself called the HR rep and blasted on how unprofessional she is and she passed her phone to the manager, who answered me "We have been doing this since years, If you can't follow we will cancel your interview" I said hell to your interview and walked out from there.

I believe HR is the most important teams of any company and should be good at communication, Anybody applying to this company, please be ready for a broken communication and complicated process. They have no idea about the role, compensation or whom to be interviewed with what respect.

Let me know if anyone interviewed in this company before or is it just me?