Frustrating Job Search Experiences: Even Executives Aren't Immune
Debra Boggs, founder and CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, helps executive-level leaders secure jobs. However, even these high-level candidates aren't exempt from frustrating hiring experiences.
Boggs recounts a story about a candidate interviewing for a vice president-level role. After several rounds of discussions, the candidate felt optimistic and was invited for an onsite follow-up interview, despite a three-hour commute. Unfortunately, his optimism was short-lived. The hiring manager was late and only gave him half an hour of their time.
“This was a real red flag,” Boggs tells CNBC Make It. The candidate withdrew his application, noting that the lack of respect was a significant concern. “There were other red flags during the process, but I advised him, ‘This is the best they’re ever going to offer you in terms of respect.’”
Such experiences are increasingly common. A recent survey by Greenhouse, a hiring platform, found that a majority of job-seekers have experienced "love-bombing" or been ghosted during the interview process.
### Love-Bombing and Ghosting: Common Frustrations
According to a survey of 2,900 global employees, 53% of job-seekers have been love-bombed—receiving excessive praise and flattery during the hiring process, only to be passed over for the role or offered a lower salary and title than expected.
Similarly, 52% have been ghosted, meaning they had initial conversations or even reached final interview rounds, only to never hear back from the recruiter or hiring manager about a decision.
Terry Petzold, managing partner at Fox Search Group, an executive search firm for tech leaders, calls these experiences the “No. 1 frustration in the market” for job-seekers.
“What I’m seeing across the board is a major systems and processes issue of companies not getting feedback back to candidates,” Petzold says. “This leaves people confused and anxious, questioning their career and sanity.”
### Why Companies Love Bomb Prospective Employees
Love-bombing often occurs when companies want to hire quickly but aren’t clear on the role they need to fill. This is common in cost-cutting environments where companies try to combine multiple roles into one.
“Companies tend to be overly selective and push too hard to find the exact person they want on paper,” Petzold explains. “But by the time they realize what specific skills and objectives they need, it could be entirely different from what they envisioned at the start.”
This can leave job-seekers feeling whiplashed when they learn they’re no longer the top candidate. “They get that love bomb, everyone’s excited, and then no email,” Petzold says.
### The Impact on Company Reputation
Petzold emphasizes the broader impact of such experiences. “Companies care so much about their customer experience, but we’re not thinking about our employees and future employees.”
A candidate’s bad experience can have a ripple effect, damaging the company’s reputation among friends, family, and social media followers.
### Recruiters' Role and Job-Seekers' Perspective
Jon Stross, president and co-founder of Greenhouse, notes that recruiters are often enthusiastic about candidates but aren’t the ultimate decision-makers. “You have to recognize that just because one person is gassing you up, it doesn’t mean you’re about to get the job. You still have to convince everybody else,” he says.
### Trusting Your Gut
Boggs advises job-seekers to trust their instincts. “If any red flags come up during the interview, or something doesn’t feel right, remember that companies are putting their best foot forward,” she says. “If you feel things are disorganized or you’re getting conflicting information, these are indications of a potentially dysfunctional culture that will only be exacerbated once you’re hired.”
Ultimately, while it’s up to the job-seeker to decide whether a bad hiring experience is a deal-breaker, it’s crucial to trust your gut and be mindful of red flags.