The Best of the Worst

I was laid off, from my job, due to the market. The program the company started, was dissolved. I have been within the top 2% of recruiters at large management consulting firms. Being laid off was not due to my performance, but rather than the state of the market/economy.

I recently read this, "A panelist, a recruiter for a bank, provided the following as her "expert" opinion- All good candidates currently have jobs If you are hiring today, you are seeking the best of the worst *Avoid hiring those that were laid off because if they were good at their jobs, the former employers would have retained them."

Most of the time, top performers are laid off due to their salaries being too high. Or in my case, the program got dissolved. Some good employees are being laid off due to their line of business not doing well, to no fault of their own. And people are being judged for that when being laid off was due to the market and not their performance.

Something needs to change.

An entire HR team was terminated after their manager discovered and confirmed that their system automatically rejected all candidates - including his own application.

It's no secret that the job market has become increasingly competitive and the job search process can be daunting. Many applicants send out numerous applications without receiving a response unless they have connections who can help them secure a job.

Unsurprisingly, receiving rejection emails almost immediately after applying can be frustrating. This often indicates that no one has even reviewed your resume. In one manager's case, this was due to a ridiculous oversight that led to the termination of many employees.

The ATS, or applicant tracking system, has become a frustrating obstacle for job seekers, making the application process like throwing your resume into the ocean. There are several reasons for the "resume black hole," but often, it's due to the software's inability to recognize even minor deviations from the norm, such as resume gaps.

The integration of AI is making this problem worse, including exacerbating discrimination. A Reddit manager discovered a surprisingly simple error that was causing significant issues. Similar mistakes may occur frequently.

As a recruiter, I don't want someone's resume to be auto-rejected. I am the type of individual who will look at a resume HEAD to TOE to ensure they're a fit. Even if their resume doesn't have everything, but almost everything, I will talk with them.

There's so much bias around individuals who have been out of work for so long. I have been searching for a while. But, I have been able to take short-term recruiting contracts here and there. I have been very lucky to have my part-time social media job (I run LinkedIn pages and social media content for a company).

I know I can't keep living like this in 2025, I want to work. To all the hiring managers and recruiters out there hiring, please take the time to look at someone's resume. If they have transferrable skills, talk with them. Creating connections is always a good thing. You never know where that connection can help you or someone you know in the future.