Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#1

Post by quantpsychds » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 12:51 AM UTC

Multiple times this year, I've had a recruiter schedule a "follow up call" after my final round of interviews. I always offer same- or next-day availability, but recruiters tend to schedule the call at least a couple of days out.

Invariably, these calls have been less than 1 minute and boil down to sorry, you're not hired.

Um... why not just say that by email? Or (for those who insist email is too cold) call me ASAP after the hiring decision, and leave a voicemail if I don't answer?

Why make me wait several days for a <1 min phone call?

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#2

Post by MattGaiser » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 1:00 AM UTC

What is considered good manners is very individual. Some people hate being ghosted for jobs. I much prefer to never hear from them as the alternative is spending my time processing rejection emails. Delivering bad news not in person or over a phone call is also taboo.

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#3

Post by version_five » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 1:23 AM UTC

MattGaiser wrote: post #2

What is considered good manners is very individual. Some people hate being ghosted for jobs. I much prefer to never hear from them as the alternative is spending my time processing rejection emails. Delivering bad news not in person or over a phone call is also taboo.

I think it's situation dependent. A senior role (actually senior, not one with "senior" in the title) where you've met a bunch of people and had lots of discussions / interviews, a call and debrief is only fair. Not passing the recruiter screen or coding interview for a dev job, email is fine, another call is weird.

In any event, the sooner you know, the better.

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#4

Post by gregjor » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 1:29 AM UTC

Recruiters get paid by the employer for a successful placement. Start by understanding that business model.

Recruiters wait because candidates often don't accept an offer, or take another offer, or negotiations break down after the offer. A good recruiter will keep a candidate who wasn't the first choice so they can act quickly if the job doesn't actually get filled.

I've worked with recruiters and sat on the hiring end. Sometimes when a candidate doesn't get an offer they call the hiring manager to ask why. A candidate with a professional attitude will go through the recruiter, but people often take "you're not hired" personally and demand answers, and at that point they've met the hiring manager and know whom to contact. The employer may want to keep their options open because a decision to make an offer doesn't always lead to filling the job.

It may also come down to priorities. Recruiters don't make any money from candidates they didn't place, so following up won't rise to the top of their daily list. How quickly and honestly a recruiter follows up says something about their professionalism, but also about the likelihood of placing the candidate in another position.

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#5

Post by zarzavat » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 1:40 AM UTC

MattGaiser wrote: post #2

What is considered good manners is very individual. Some people hate being ghosted for jobs. I much prefer to never hear from them as the alternative is spending my time processing rejection emails. Delivering bad news not in person or over a phone call is also taboo.

I can’t believe a person exists who would prefer a call over getting the information via email sooner.

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#6

Post by NoZebra120vClip » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 3:13 AM UTC

zarzavat wrote: post #5

MattGaiser wrote: post #2

What is considered good manners is very individual. Some people hate being ghosted for jobs. I much prefer to never hear from them as the alternative is spending my time processing rejection emails. Delivering bad news not in person or over a phone call is also taboo.

I can’t believe a person exists who would prefer a call over getting the information via email sooner.

Email is an impersonal, asynchronous medium.

If a recruiter is open to being asked questions about why I was not hired, I would especially like that opportunity to ask them in a live phone call.

Scheduling a call seems miles more considerate than ghosting. For crying out loud.

It is important to cultivate and maintain relationships with good recruiters throughout one's career. Recruiters themselves are used to being ghosted, abused, and maligned. It only takes a modicum of humanity for me to respond to a legitimate human recruiter that I am not currently seeking opportunities or this is not right for me. Reciprocation is certainly appreciated in all cases.

Reflecting on the OP's situation, may it perhaps be the case that the recruiter scheduled this call in the eventuality that it turned into a job offer? Perhaps they won't schedule it right away because they need time to come to a decision, and they're going to deliver that decision via phone to you whether it's a "yes" or "no".

Re: Ask HN: What's with recruiters who schedule a call to reject me?

#7

Post by MattGaiser » Fri, Jun 09, 2023, 4:13 AM UTC

zarzavat wrote: post #5

MattGaiser wrote: post #2

What is considered good manners is very individual. Some people hate being ghosted for jobs. I much prefer to never hear from them as the alternative is spending my time processing rejection emails. Delivering bad news not in person or over a phone call is also taboo.

I can’t believe a person exists who would prefer a call over getting the information via email sooner.

There are people who get really peeved if conversations don't start with the "how are you doing?" social dance, even though it is not a serious inquiry and the person is not expressing any real concern for your well being.

The dance is just that. All parties admit it is just that. Yet they demand it anyway.

I imagine those overlap.