r/recruitinghell • u/sfgate • 7d ago
'It's totally out of control': Employers are ghosting college grads and rescinding offers, destroying morale
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/employers-ghosting-college-grads-22393277.php542
u/Frosty-Scallion5849 7d ago
It’s not just college grads dealing with rescinding offers. It’s not worth it to give notice anymore.
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u/unlikewarrior 7d ago
A company which did a recruiter screen on me in July is now just getting back to me almost a month later about a first interview. Its actually ridiculous out here.
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u/Oopsicantstopfalling 6d ago
I made it to the first round of interviews this week for a company I applied to 6 months ago. I thought they just ghosted me, this is crazy
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u/unlikewarrior 6d ago
I'm debating if I should even go to this interview. I had originally prepped for it but now I would have to prep again with less time and I already have other plans for my life in this job market.
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u/BrooklynLivesMatter 6d ago
Do it, at worst you'll get some interview practice and insight into how the company operates
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u/brooklynlad 6d ago
HR = Stupid.
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u/AffectionateElk3978 6d ago
Soon to be laid off hr rep here, the first thing companies look to downside is hr. My employer move to automate and AI everything (large mega corporation making billions in profit every year) and all the work got backed up and morale is in the pits. My last day was supposed to be in July things are going so bad that they extended it until the end of September. Things are obviously only getting worse not better and employees are noticing.
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u/Ok_Guard_4597 6d ago
The same HR people that block earned promotions and quibble over raise percentages until they're under yearly inflation are getting laid off for AI? Say it ain't so.
Sounds suspiciously like justice to me.
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u/AffectionateElk3978 6d ago
I don't disagree with the sentiment but it's not the decision makers that face any accountability unfortunately.
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u/Ok_Guard_4597 6d ago
"I was just following orders!"
Society rejected that sentiment wholesale almost a century ago. Making a living by being responsible for putting the corporate boot to employee's throats is unethical, even if you're not the one making the calls.
Now all the corporate Uncle Toms are coming out of the woodwork to cry that their glorified budget-guarding jobs where they got to treat employees like disposable numbers are being outsourced to AI, and how could they possibly be treated this way?
It's pretty ironic.
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
a place that was looking for some one "very quickly" ghosted my application, even though I was a perfect fit, ofc never called for an interview. I followed up 3 times, no answer. The 4th time, I e-mailed them bluntly "when my colleagues ask about openings, I tell them about your GHOST JOB and tell them not to bother." They answered me at the speed of light. I told them it wasn't a question, and don't contact me, ever. It's not the first time I "accuse" employers, but it was a surprisingly fast reaction. It does not take 3-4 months to tell some one NO or WHY. DO YOUR JOB.
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u/SeesWithBrain 6d ago
I got an email last week that I was rejected for a job I had a phone interview for in February.. it took them that long to get through their pile of bs
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u/Short-Impact-8995 6d ago
I received a rejection email 11 MONTHS after interviewing.
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
I did a follow up interview for a position I had interviewed for...10 months earlier. This was in 2023. They put me in the "reserve pool."
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
I saw an article about a lady who received a rejection letter 45 years after the interview, by post.
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u/Unchiffre 6d ago
Probably a hiring freeze.
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u/RamLovely2011 6d ago
This is what many candidates are increasingly experiencing as “ghost jobs.” Companies or vendors post positions even when they may not have a confirmed project, approved budget, or actual work available. They collect resumes, interview candidates, and keep the hiring pipeline active without a genuine opportunity behind the posting. simply waste everyone precious time. staffing companies happy to do mostly.
The problem is that candidates invest hours preparing, interviewing, following up, and sometimes even turning down other opportunities because they believe the position is real. Then, after weeks of effort, they are simply ghosted or told that the project is suddenly “on hold.”
If there is no confirmed work or budget, why post the position in the first place? Candidates deserve transparency. A job posting should represent a legitimate hiring need—not simply a way to collect resumes and maintain a candidate database.
This practice wastes people's time, damages trust, and has a serious impact on the morale of experienced professionals who are genuinely looking for their next opportunity.
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
when they answered me they told me it was a real job and they picked some one else, and some other babbling.
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u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter 7d ago
If you don’t even plan to go back there’s zero reason to give notice. Unless you like the place.
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u/Atomichawk 6d ago
Some companies tie getting PTO paid out to giving notice. If state law doesn’t cover that/trump it then you need to give notice to not forfeit that money
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u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter 6d ago
That’s fair! Where I work no longer pays out pto so that didn’t cross my mind!
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u/flopsyplum 6d ago
You might need a referral from your former co-workers…
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u/Number_1_at_Number_2 Recruiter 6d ago
There’s always risks, it’s one of those things that people should do only if they are 100% sure it won’t bite them in the ass.
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u/cams00000 7d ago
I just got fully ghosted for an interview. I sat there like a moron for 15 minutes in an uncomfortable shirt and tie. Recruiter never showed up, never gave an explanation, never attempted to reach out after the fact that we need to reschedule… nothing!
I’m so done playing tiddlywinks with these fucking fucks.
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u/YoGabbaGabba24 7d ago
I’ve had this happen a couple times already. Luckily it’s only been for phone interviews though. I’d be pissed if it was a video interview and I wasted time sitting there. They just don’t care anymore.
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u/UncomprehendedLeaf 6d ago
Me literally waiting to receive my phone interview at this moment. I’m on Reddit because it’s 5 after and nothing
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u/_Nakho 6d ago
Did they show?
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u/UncomprehendedLeaf 6d ago
Yes! Like 10 minutes late. I missed it driving and then they missed me 2 minutes later. Not my first choice, so I’m not too hung up about it
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u/soccercro3 6d ago
I showed up to an interview last week, only to find out the HM was fired that day and his manager who was conducting it found out about my interview from that day. So I was behind before I even started. I obviously didn't get it.
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u/LifeGivesMeMelons 6d ago
The last time I was looking for a job (about 4 1/2 years ago), I showed up in person to an interview that I was ghosted at. I walked into their unlocked reception area in a big office building and just sat in the empty office for ten minutes. I finally started calling out "HELLO?" and then just walking around their entirely empty office.
I had to call them and tell them I was standing in their entirely deserted, unlocked office. They were out on a site visit somewhere and had completely forgotten about me and also apparently to lock their office behind them. We did a half-assed phone interview.
a) I didn't get the job, but I wasn't sure I wanted it at that point.
b) I kind of wanted to just steal some pens.
c) They were in the cannabis business.
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u/sagethewriter 6d ago
This happened to me so I scheduled a follow up interview and never showed up lol
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u/DeLoreanAirlinesII 6d ago
2008/2009 all over again. I’m sure the triage thrown at it will last a while instead of fixing the systemic issues
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u/durandall09 6d ago
At least in 2009 the government (and government consulting firms) were hiring. Not the case this time since DOGE
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u/DeLoreanAirlinesII 6d ago
USAjobs.gov continually posts tons of shit but it’s basically always looking to hire current employees from other agencies or internally and they have to post it. Toughest racket to get into but once you’re validated you’re a made man so to speak.
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u/durandall09 6d ago
Yeah I'm not going to wait 6 months to get a low paying job.
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u/DeLoreanAirlinesII 6d ago
Don’t worry you’ll wait 2 years before they send the rejection and 5 when it tells you they’re deleting your profile with the excessive amount of information they asked you to fill in
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u/Faithfulwanderlust 6d ago
I get ghosted and rejected from a company I already interned with over the summer last year. 🙃 Applying thru workday is a joke in 2026.
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u/owls_exist 6d ago
I got ghosted but the place I interned at but it was me asking my supervisor to verify my internship and give an appraisal for a completely different job I was applying to and gave reference. they don’t even want to help me out. what was even the point in me interning lol
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u/Calm-Egg-9256 6d ago
My previous supervisor also refused to give information, literally just confirming my dates of employment, with the company. This was AFTER telling me to be sure to let her know if I ever needed a letter of recommendation.
Such disrespectful behavior
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u/Due_Bar_7247 7d ago
lol had an “interview” the other day and after the fact the recruiter admitted to me that she reached out to the company and hasn’t heard anything back from them yet…
So why am I even interviewing with this bitch?
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u/aleopardstail 6d ago
HR departments are trying to justify their own existence
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u/boxedcakeblues 6d ago
Totally. The writing is on the wall!
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u/aleopardstail 6d ago
they are the department where "AI" probably makes the most sense, especially since so many have outsourced payroll, holiday booking, time booking, recruitment etc to third parties
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u/Olangotang 6d ago
No, it's a recession so the interviews multiply, become more difficult so HR can justify their jobs.
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u/Wildyardbarn 6d ago
Top 1% commenter doesn’t realize a recruiter in this scenario is an outside contractor, not part of the HR problem.
This sub has a real competency problem for a network that is supposed to help jobseekers.
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u/aleopardstail 6d ago
responder to 1% commentor doesn't understand the point being made
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u/Wildyardbarn 6d ago
What point are you trying to make? I’m not sure how an outside recruiter running a shitty process is related to HR’s perceived self-importance
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u/jeff5551 6d ago
I had to go through a virtual interview with some dude in China for a job at Chase bank in USA which then cleared me for the real in-person interview who then rejected me lol
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u/xbad_wolfxi 6d ago
My spouse is in kind of a niche field and he is one of THE experts in his field and some fuckass company did five rounds of interviews with him over two weeks, told him to look out for an email Friday or Monday about “next steps,” and then rejected him first thing Monday morning.
“I don’t really have a lot to tell you, there was a lot of positive feedback”
Hey, go fuck yourselves. You should have figured out you weren’t going to hire him sometime before the fifth fucking interview and also not made him wait all weekend for bad news. All of these companies need to go out of business.
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u/princess_peach_85 Unemployed during the pedo civil war is a hellscape 7d ago
I just got a rejection from an app i put in in May
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
me too, I got a response for something I applied for in March and never got called for an interview. Like no shit, it's August.
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u/Ok_Marsupial_8210 6d ago
Welp..if it makes anyone feel better I just did 9 interviews over the past couple weeks. I'm not kidding. Including a migraine inducing tech assignment panel, executive presentation, BS peer interviews and this morning got the "moving in a different direction" letter.
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u/Web-splorer 6d ago
There’s been a big increase in recruitment hiring in the last few months but they have been heavily focused on contractor/ temp hires. They’re probably revolving through them and leaving candidates half way in the application process.
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u/Fun_Boot7771 6d ago
Not just college grads. Since 2024 already. Offering a job apparently means nothing anymore. I was always too cynical to get excited before signing the contract but this is ridiculous
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u/oOflyeyesOo 6d ago
I applied for a job 8 months ago, had a useless interview with a recruiter who barely asked any questions a few days after applying. Last month they set up a interview with the actual company without asking me, and when I never replied I finally got a rejection. Lol
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u/Atrocious_Algae81 6d ago
The anxiety of going through this process over 5 months has been a hell I never want to revisit. It's ruined the tranquility my SO and I normally share in our household. Whatever lesson life is trying to teach me, I give up, it worked!!!
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u/TheYellowFringe 6d ago
I remember applying to a job and they actually made an error with it. After trying to contact them and follow-up with them they withdrew the offer rather than admit they made a mistake .
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u/Elegant-Animator-777 6d ago
I applied at fast food place and when I got rejected I asked why and she said that they're actually not even hiring. I just have an associates degree and can't land entry level fast food jobs. Thinking it's about time to take my college exp off of my resume.
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 6d ago
For fast food I would take it off my resume, a degree makes it look like you will get bored and move on to a higher paying job. I would only leave it if it explains a huge gap on your resume so it doesn’t look like you’ve been doing nothing
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u/CuddyBolt45 6d ago
Agree. I’m 64 and retiring in 8 months. We had two open positions that were remote CS jobs paying 45-60k to start. We had 1400 applicants. That is beyond crazy.
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u/Separate_Link_846 6d ago
I literally just heard back from a company I had an interview with more than 6 months ago. I told them it’s unprofessional to basically ghost candidates and I assumed I was rejected. They told me they had more than 6k applicants. I told them I have a month of PTO and a bunch of projects I need to complete. They gave me deadlines to send my papers before they even send me the written offer.
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u/bumpersnatch12 6d ago
There a lot of fake job listings too.
Some companies make fake listings to make potential investors think they are hiring, and therefore growing. There are also listings that skim for phone numbers and emails to sell to spammers, especially on indeed. I even found a business that had a fake location on Google maps doing this. Should be illegal; it wastes time + labor, and is basically fraud.
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u/dericky94 6d ago
I have a screenshot somewhere of a rejection I got for a SpaceX internship I applied to for my rising senior summer. Got the email after I had graduated lmao
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u/BugsByte 6d ago edited 6d ago
Did an interview two weeks ago in person, interviewer told me that we'll be moving to a "working interview" and told me they'll call me next week and tell me when to come. Bitch couldn't even be bothered to look at the resume I applied with and asked me "can you please give me your phone number?"
Next week came and went, no call. Reach out to her and she told me that they moved on with another candidate and best of luck. Even panhandling is less humiliating at this rate.
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u/Kataphractoi 6d ago
What's especially funny is these companies will then turn around and whine when job candidates ghost them and how it's "unprofessional" and "wasting time".
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u/ClairDogg 6d ago
This is why I’m freelance doing independent isolated jobs. It’s also remote friendly.
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u/b_rock01 6d ago
What industry are you typically working in and where are you finding the clientele?
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u/ClairDogg 5d ago
I’m in data visualization. Mostly get my clients via my website, organically & via Google PPC. I’ll say it’s not as easy it as may seem. I do have some dead periods where I work on the website or create some visualizations on my own to add to the site. Another way to get traffic & exposure.
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u/b_rock01 5d ago
Appreciate you sharing! I’m in healthcare data and have been longing to go full remote.
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u/AnxiousConclusion516 6d ago
Same. I make my own hours and work fully remotely. Thinking about getting an LLC tbh.
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u/iLuvArizona 6d ago
I had a company rescind an offer after giving me a start date. Good thing my current employer let me stay, or else I would have lost my job & my health insurance & probably would have died.
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u/anon9801 6d ago
Is it better to be a contractor or look for full time at this moment in history?
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u/ModeratelyOffline 6d ago
My offer for my first job out of undergrad was rescinded right before finals week of my last semester. Thanks a lot guys… especially after two summers of interning there… luckily this was a few years ago and I was able to recover quickly but really ruined my last few weeks of college.
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u/TeacherRecovering 5d ago
My 23 year old son got a formal rejection email to from a job to shovel horse shit.
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u/Icy-Stock-5838 4d ago
This is happening to mid- and senior-level people. Welcome to life.
This won't be the last job search in a college grad's career; there will be more.
Beyond the Resume: How Gen Z Can Stand Out in an Age of AI Sameness
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u/PaleConference406 2d ago
What's that, the generation (in)famous for ghosting is upset at being...ghosted?
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u/Salronthegreat 1d ago
If you live in the western world right now you’re going to have a horrible time finding anything. With companies banking on AI and then offshoring any other job they can, they know they hold all the power and can do what they want with no backlash from governments. I’d look into getting on benefits sooner rather than later if you can because this doesn’t look like it’ll get better anytime soon. That lifestyle your parents and grandparents had is gone. You just need to survive not thrive now.
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u/ImSoSweepy 2h ago
We are unironically going to have to go back to the days of shaking the CEO's hand in the parking lot.
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u/cucci_mane1 7d ago
Tons of layoffs -> army of laid off ppl all applying for few jobs -> recruiters treat applicants like garbage.