I had one of the worst recruitment experiences of my career during this process. After applying for a Sales Development Representative role, I completed two interview rounds — first a telephone screening, followed by a Microsoft Teams interview. Both conversations appeared positive, and I was led to believe there would be next steps or, at minimum, an update.
Instead, I was completely ghosted.
Despite multiple polite follow-ups, I received no response, no feedback, and no closure. This was especially disappointing given the amount of time and preparation required for two rounds of interviews.
What makes this more frustrating is that candidate communication and fair hiring practices are increasingly emphasized by government guidance and employment standards bodies in Canada, yet experiences like this still happen far too often. Ghosting candidates — particularly after multiple interview stages — shows a lack of professionalism and basic respect.
I understand not every candidate will be selected, but silence is not an acceptable outcome after investing significant time in interviews. A short update or rejection email would have gone a long way.
Advice to Management:
If you expect candidates to be professional, prepared, and respectful of timelines, recruiters should be held to the same standard. Ghosting after multiple interview rounds damages trust, employer brand, and the overall candidate experience.