By Darlin TilleryShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA job seeker has been applauded for abruptly ending an interview after a recruiter failed to show up for their first scheduled meeting and then arrived late to the rescheduled conversation the following day.
The original poster (OP), user metricframe, recounted the incident on Reddit, explaining that he has spent years working in technology and product leadership.
A month after submitting his application for a senior role, a recruiter contacted him and offered time slots through a scheduling link.
The two agreed to speak at noon the following day—but when the time came, the recruiter never appeared on the call.
...After waiting 17 minutes, the OP sent a message asking whether the meeting needed to be rescheduled.
"He gets back to me 20 minutes later, apologizing, saying he thought the meeting was today," the OP wrote. "Annoying, but fine. I've messed up scheduling before, too."
They arranged another call for noon the following day with a 20-minute window, but when the second meeting time arrived, the recruiter failed to show up on time and joined the call eight minutes late, claiming his previous call had overrun.
'I hung up'
"I said, 'It's 12:08,'" the OP recalled. "His response? 'Do you have a hard stop at 12:20?'
"I told him no, but that I didn't want to continue because he clearly doesn't respect my time. And I hung up.
"Look, if this is how they treat candidates during the interview process for a senior leadership role, imagine what the actual company is like day to day."
Reddit users flocked to the comments to weigh in, with many discussing expectations around professionalism during hiring.
One wrote, "Nah, I support you. This is a big reason why companies can't find 'good talent.' The recruiter is unprofessional and not good at their job."
Another added, "If it wasn't for yesterday's no-show i would say that was too much. After a no-show, I get it."
"Twenty-minute interviews are always a red flag to me," one commenter noted. "There is no way you can have a genuine conversation and know someone in 20 minutes."
Communication Breakdown
Stories like this are part of a wider conversation about communication breakdowns in the hiring process.
Ryan Stenvick, vice president of business development and delivery at Acara Solutions, wrote in an article about hiring practices, "In today's fast-paced digital world, ghosting has unfortunately become a common occurrence in the hiring process."
The issue affects both sides of recruiting. Stenvick noted that 72 percent of job seekers share negative hiring experiences online, which can damage a company's reputation among future applicants.
'Frustrating and discouraging'
Advice sites for job seekers also warn that disappearing communication from recruiters can leave candidates feeling discouraged.
"Being ghosted by a recruiter can feel frustrating and discouraging, especially when you're actively job hunting," according to a job search advice article from Burnett Specialists.
The OP acknowledged that his reaction may not be possible for everyone, as he is currently employed, which gave him the freedom to end the conversation.
Still, he said the experience left him "p*****" and reinforced his belief that the interview process can reveal a great deal about how a company operates before anyone even accepts the job.
Newsweek has reached out to metricframe for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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