My Unemployment Journey: What Feels to be a Flawed Recruiting Process

As an unemployed job seeker, I'm often finding myself feeling frustrated with the recruitment process. I mean, of course, it’s frustrating in general being unemployed, but I’ve found many experiences to be disheartening and just straight-up borderline discourteous.

Before I get into some of the specifics of my frustrations, I want to lead with the thought; I get that majority of recruiters and hiring managers have good intentions to do their best.

I’m mostly sharing my experiences so that others in a similar spot as myself may feel less mentally and emotionally impacted, knowing that it’s a shared experience and they are not alone in it just happening to them.

I also share my thoughts in hopes that we can create a dialogue through it as a means of activism and change. After all, we are more than just a machine to help in the support of generating value for shareholders, we are more than just a number, and we all deserve to be treated with respect, positive regard, and empathy as job seekers regardless of how competitive the job market is.

Ok… ok… life -- especially corporate life and getting hired -- is a game. I GET IT! But should it be? Should our lives, our ability to put food on the table, being able to house ourselves, and simply survive while “wanting” to contribute to this capitalistic society be gamified? That’s rhetorical. We don’t have to jump into that discussion. I’m just ruffling some feathers before delving into my real discussion hehe ::evilsmileemoji::

Although, I do enjoy a game as I’m very competitive but I’m just saying… sheesh. Put me in coach!

Alright, back to business.

Here’s my frustration. It feels like more often than not, I've been ghosted by recruiters after putting in a great deal of time and effort into the interview process.

And even when I do get a response, it can be disheartening to be told that I don't meet every single qualification listed on the job description.

Or, I absolutely meet them but yet get that email response the same or next day saying, “we are moving forward with other candidates who better match the qualifications,” as if they didn’t even take the time to look at my resume. Meanwhile, I know dang well, after running it through JobScan against the job description, I made sure it would top rank the ATS.

Look, it just feels and seems like the expectations set by recruiters is unrealistic.

Speaking of unrealistic. It’s not uncommon to be asked to complete assignments or projects as part of the interview process, but not being compensated for the time and effort put into them is CRAZY.

I literally spent 8 – 10 hours on an assignment presentation for the 3rd and final interview just to be told after I presented that the company was putting a 4 week hold on hiring as they “reassessed resources.” And then, 12 weeks later, I’m completely ghosted with no response to my effort of staying in touch seeing that I was one of the “top 3 candidates” as they noted in their reassessing resources email. This experience felt extremely abusive ::cryingemoji::

Listen, just hear me out!

This process and treatment is inequitable. I don’t have the time nor the privilege to waste effort with my unemployment benefits dwindling and my mental health suffering while being unemployed searching for a job. Be mindful that as a recruiter and hiring manager you are a gate keeper to whether I default on my mortgage or not. That is powerful. Be aware of how you assert that power over me as I will jump through hoops and at some point it becomes abusive!

The number of interviews I’ve been a part of where they “reassessed resources” and paused hiring after multiple interviews is concerning and baffling.

Meanwhile, recruiters have become LinkedIn influencers, posting motivational messages, and encouraging job seekers to stay positive. While positivity is important, it can also feel like a gaslight and a facade when the hiring process is flawed and oppressive.

It feels like it's become more of a competition of exaggeration and embellishment of one's "professional experience", rather than a fair and honest evaluation process for both job seekers and the company.

The lack of diversity in leadership within organizations is also a significant issue, and it is reflected in the hiring process. I can't even express the feeling and experience in how most of the interviewers and leadership that I've interacted with throughout the process has not been Black, or really a person of color in general.

A recent study by McKinsey & Company found that despite a significant number of diverse lower-level employees, only 4.3% of C-suite positions are held by Black executives. This lack of diversity in leadership leads to homogeneity in hiring, making it even more important to re-evaluate and improve the hiring process and developing diverse leadership.

Oh you want a unicorn? You don't say.

Yeeeaahhh -- I've literally been told that in an interview.

Well, I'm not mythical but I am talented. Thanks!

It just feels so unrealistic at times. The job resources feel all the same. Endless job board, after job board, after job board. Resume rewrites because everyone has an option on how it can be better and yet each opinion conflicts with someone else's. And then, there's all these suggestions on the extra stuff, and things, and ways, and loop holes, and networking that could and should be done. Oh and everyone knows a better ways to do it all.

Ok, I get that the responsibly falls on me, the job seeker, to impress the recruiter and hiring manager as i'm the one that needs a job and a job seekers comes a dime a dozen, but dang... I'm so unimpressed. There has to be a better, more equitable and efficient way that is beneficial to both the job seeker and the company.

It's definitely time to re-evaluate the hiring process and find ways to make it more equitable for all parties involved. Here are some thoughts that come to mind when considering my experience in the job search process:

Be reasonably flexible about job requirements: Recruiters should be upfront about the qualifications and skills required for the job, and not expect job seekers to meet every single one. A recent survey conducted by Glassdoor found that only 8% of workers actually meet every qualification listed on a job description, so it's important to be realistic about the skills and experience needed for the role.

Provide clear communication: We should not be left in the dark about the status of our application. A study by Talent Board found that candidates who received regular updates on the status of their application were 4 times more likely to have a positive candidate experience. It's important for recruiters to be proactive in communicating, providing regular updates on the progress and whether they will move forward in the interview process and know your resources if you are going to put people through interviews.

Stop using unproven assessments: Requiring job seekers to complete assessments or projects as part of the interview process can be unfair, especially if they are not compensated for their time and effort. These types of assessments have been shown to be unreliable indicators of job performance, according to a study by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. It's important for recruiters to focus on more meaningful and proven methods of evaluating candidates.

Rethink the interview process: The traditional interview process can be stressful and ineffective for both job seekers and recruiters. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that behavioral interviews, situational judgment tests, or work sample tests are more accurate and fair assessments of a candidate's skills and abilities compared to traditional interviews. Consider alternative approaches that can provide a more meaningful evaluation of a candidate's skills and abilities. I get that you have a lot of candidates but put some effort in reading between the lines a bit – we are not just machines.

Foster a positive and respectful atmosphere: The hiring process should not feel like a game of who can boast and flaunt the best. Recruiters should create a positive and respectful atmosphere for job seekers and avoid making them feel like they are being judged or criticized. A survey by Glassdoor found that a positive candidate experience can lead to higher levels of engagement and advocacy for the company.

I of course don’t have all the answers. And what I shared is just my anecdotal experience. Take what resonates leave what doesn't but please do take the dialogue and consider how we can better job search and hiring experiences.

None of us want to waste our time, job seeker and job giver. With a goal of being more straightforward about what information is needed and wanted in the hiring process, limiting open ended questions and being direct about specific skills and experiences while in discussion within the interview, we can create a more efficient and equitable hiring process for all parties involved.

Now, back to the game! I’ve got LinkedIn job applications to fill out – LET'S GO!!!

P.S. If you are looking for a passionate and driven professional or want to network and connect, shoot me a follow and a DM.