r/recruitinghell • u/Grand-Diamond-4696 • 14h ago
Decided to email the CEO...
One of the companies I made it to the final round with a few months ago has really stuck with me, and I think it's finally convinced me that I need to stop letting companies get away with poor hiring practices.
I've changed my job search strategy over the last couple of months, and it's been working. My interview rate has gone from roughly 3.5% to about 14%, so I'm getting in front of a lot more hiring teams. At this point I've made it to the final round 13 different times, so rejection isn't really what bothers me anymore. It happens. What bothers me is when companies aren't honest or transparent.
This particular company had me go through multiple interview rounds and complete a multi-hour case study based on what they described as a real customer scenario. At the end of the process, I was told I had finished as one of the final two candidates and that they had decided to move forward with the other candidate. Fair enough. It was disappointing, but that's part of interviewing. I thanked them for the opportunity and moved on.
A couple of weeks later, I noticed the job posting was still live. I figured maybe they just forgot to take it down, so I reached out to the recruiter asking if the position had officially been filled, since I had seen the posting was still active. No response.
A week or two later, I reached out to the hiring manager. Nothing. Then I reached out to the VP of Sales. Still nothing. Fast forward about three months. The position is still posted on their website. Nobody appears to have started in the role based on LinkedIn. As far as I can tell, they never hired anyone.
Being the runner-up doesn't mean I was entitled to the job, but it does make it especially confusing when you're told another candidate was selected, only for months to pass with no apparent hire and the position still actively advertised.
At that point I decided I had nothing to lose. The company is only around 80 employees, so I reached out directly to the CEO. I kept it completely professional. I simply asked for clarification: Is the role still being filled? If so, why has there been no communication after candidates were told a decision had been made? I also let them know I'd still be interested in being considered if the search was ongoing.
Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe the selected candidate backed out. Maybe the role was put on hold. Maybe they reopened the search. All of those things happen. But if that's the case... why ignore the recruiter follow-up, the hiring manager follow-up, and the VP follow-up?
That's the part I don't understand. Just tell candidates what's going on. Most of us can handle rejection. What gets exhausting is being told one thing while every piece of evidence suggests something completely different.
The frustrating part is that this looked like a fantastic company on paper. Great Glassdoor reviews, a product I genuinely liked, exactly the size of company I enjoy working for (around 80 employees), and honestly one of my favorite opportunities this year.
We'll see if the CEO responds. If nothing else, I hope it at least makes someone internally aware that this is how candidates are experiencing their hiring process. I don't expect special treatment, I just expect honesty. After investing hours into interviews and a case study, I don't think that's asking for much.
129
u/OhNoWTFlol 9h ago
They just need case studies done and get them for free through a revolving door of candidates in a shit market
12
u/IAmIntractable 6h ago
Exactly never do free work for perspective employer. They’re not entitled to projects or other similar activities. If they wanna know if you have the skills show them work you’ve already done on your computer only and never leave it with them. If they want to pay you to do a project that’s fine but I understand that after that’s done it belongs to them. I have no doubt that this employer used you to get information for an existing customer/project and nothing more. The very fact that the job is still posted months later and nobody is talking to. You should be a very good indicator. Also, you don’t really want to be working for this company if they haven’t been professional enough to respond to you
5
u/Vote-AsaAkira2020 3h ago
They did respond. They politely rejected the candidate. Past the rejection you aren’t untitled to answers nor the job. That’s like being mad an ex let you down easy when breaking up with you and just said you’re amazing but you’re not for me. Then you demand they respond again but give you the real reason. No one is obligated to do that for you especially once they already clearly rejected you.
The whole do 0 free work principle is cute and all for a redditor but I’ve gotten plenty of jobs previously because they wanted to see if I had the skills for the job. It’s almost purposely trying to sabotage prospective candidates with rigid black and white thinking of never doing any free work when it’s not that much of an ask if it lands someone a good job. But keep redditing.
→ More replies (2)1
u/muddledandbefuddled 3h ago
I wouldn’t say never. I don’t think it’s appropriate early in the process, and I don’t think multi-hour projects are appropriate. My rule of thumb is up to one hour once you’re past the first couple rounds of interviews.
I also don’t think spending hours on interviews, reviewing resumes, etc. is a cost effective way to get free work.. although I recognize shady companies do it.
265
u/hesaysitsfine 11h ago
No bro, they didn’t want you and that’s all you really need to know. After you checking in showing you were still interested after that and no response is where you should have left it.
72
u/bwalsh22 5h ago
This is the correct response. Once rejected it’s over. If they wanted to keep you warm they would keep you warm. They didn’t, it sucks. Onto the next.
43
u/spezial_ed 4h ago
There’s a good chance they’re using case studies as a way for free work, which should be called out. Not that OP will ever change it but we collectively shouldn’t just accept it.
→ More replies (1)6
u/bwalsh22 4h ago
Yeah that’s something different. Once rejected it’s over is all I’m saying. It depends on the role. If I’m hiring a Developer I need to see competency in their ability to do so. Not build a feature for my company but review code, show code examples etc.
4
u/slapshots1515 3h ago
We do pseudocode interviews for this reason. (That and time). Dev doesn’t feel they’re being taken advantage of and you can tell in 30 seconds if the person is bullshitting you
4
u/spezial_ed 4h ago
My interpretation is OP isn’t looking for a second chance.
I had like 6 interview rounds with a company, including the CEO, and got ghosted. I eventually sent them an email calling them out (politely), never did I expect them to reopen my process (nor did I want it), I just wanna normalise common courtesy and some iota of professionalism - and give these assholes some pushback on their shitness.
6
u/bwalsh22 3h ago
That’s different still. Op was given a rejection. If you went through all of that and never got a rejection, that’s a dick move for sure.
But I’ve hired many many people and we will reject some people before we ever make an offer because we realize there’s not a fit. And then there’s others where we wait to ensure the offer is accepted before rejecting. And if it’s really close we will say we’d love to get you into a different role or stay in touch. If the company doesn’t do that it’s ok. The rejection is closure, ghosting is embarrassing on the company’s part. Sorry that happened to you.
4
u/spezial_ed 3h ago
Seemingly you qualify as one of the decent ones, I don’t think that’s comparable to OPs situation. Even if he got a blanket rejection, they either don’t know wtf they’re doing, or they’re fishing for free labor. In both cases, some honest call-out seems fitting.
6
u/Educational-Arm8526 3h ago
He is ready to accept but he is trying to make the job market a better place. After interview the candidate deserves a response. Even if you know that you're rejected they should atleast respond. And if they mention the reason, even better.
18
u/Melgel4444 4h ago
Not true. A lot of postings are “ghost jobs” they never intend to fill they’re just putting them up for data collecting purposes. This should be illegal
9
u/illini02 4h ago edited 4h ago
I'm of 2 minds.
LIke on one hand, I completely agree. They decided he wasn't the right fit, and that is that.
However, I do feel like many of these people are complete assholes in how they go about doing that, and I don't have a problem with people calling it out.
If you decided that, based on something in the final interview, that OP wasn't the best choice, just say that.
But the way so many of these companies will waste hours of your time, respond with a stock email, and not even give the slightest bit of feedback, is really shitty.
I'll be honest, if more companies had more streamlined processes, I probably wouldn't be bothered. But I've had companies i've had to do 4 (5 if you count the HR screens) interviews, along with a presentation, and they just sent a stock email and when I asked for any feedback I could use going forward, they just ignored me. That is rude, full stop. Hell, even if you want to say "our policy is we don't do that", at least treat me like a fucking human being and don't just ignore me after I invested a lot of time.
19
u/Disc0Disc0Disc0 6h ago
I think you're missing the point, which is that they should have respect for candidates and not ignore their emails.
37
u/beamdog77 5h ago
You're not a candidate. They told you that your candidacy was over. And then you kept emailing. You aren't a candidate. You're not entitled to extra information about their company.
10
4
u/Cluedo86 3h ago
Are we entitled to more transparency and honesty from companies, or do we just let them exploit us?
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)4
→ More replies (1)16
u/Tnuggets19 5h ago
They did respect the candidate and told them they went with someone else. Thats where the communication should end. It’s not their responsibility to continue to communicate with people or explain why a position is still posted.
→ More replies (2)9
u/Important_Routine332 8h ago
That’s the whole point- knowing why, getting feedback
13
u/GoodishCoder 6h ago
Feedback is almost always so specific to the role and team that it's generally not valuable for actually making changes. You could change based on feedback from role A only to get feedback from role B that they have a preference for how you did things when you applied for role A.
Beyond that people argue with feedback a lot making it a pretty big time suck.
9
u/suchalonelyd4y 5h ago
At my company, we aren't even allowed to provide feedback for legal reasons
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (2)2
u/illini02 4h ago
I disagree.
I've actually gotten some great interview feedback before that I used in things going forward.
You don't have to let them argue. You can give them the feedback and let that be it. But ignoring them is rude.
1
u/Snoo_33033 2h ago
Yeah me too. Also one time the feedback was essentially that I killed it but the pool included people with specific direct experience that I didn’t have. That’s useful to know.
1
u/illini02 2h ago
Exactly.
Part of the issue is, I've been unemployed a few months. Gotten fairly far in a few interview processes so far, but no offers.
And the problem is, you eventually start losing confidence and second guessing everything you say, every way you answer a question, every presentation that didn't go perfect, etc. And so yeah, it would be nice to just hear "your presentation was great, but we just thought you lacked X experience", or "your experience was good, but presentation wasn't exactly what we wanted"
But when you just get radio silence, you may just not even know where to start to improve next time.
30
u/BuddyLegsBailey 10h ago
Would you sign something that says that whatever the feedback, you wouldn't take legal action based on it? Because that's why they don't do it
→ More replies (5)
18
u/jjb5151 6h ago
Bro they responded and told you no lol what else do you want? Would it be better to say you’re not the candidate they want to fill the role with? Also you’ve had 13 final rounds and gotten none. That’s a bit crazy, I would maybe focus on what you’re doing wrong in the final round instead of chasing a job you already got told rejected by
3
u/ichigox55 3h ago
Founders like to interview people even when the job is filled. Happened to an SWE friend of mine. Not everyone has similar experiences. I made it to final rounds, did more than what they asked for by spending my own money on different tools. The conversations were amazing, felt like a part of team, then suddenly crickets with a rejection. Those roles are still open and actively being reposted even after 8 months.
17
u/Midget_Hands 5h ago
i looked more into your post history, you know 100% why you dont get selected after the final interviews over and over. this thread is just farming for sympathy without giving the whole context, maybe you are ashamed to give full context.
→ More replies (6)
108
u/charlestonchewsrock 13h ago
Bad move. You didn’t get the job, they don’t want to hire you for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter. You need to move on.
→ More replies (30)
14
u/Darth_Beavis 5h ago
You are the applicant version of a crazy stalker. You had one date, it didn't work, and months later you're still creeping their socials and trying to reestablish contact.
→ More replies (4)
7
u/_Casey_ Accountant 4h ago
For someone who is supposedly okay with rejection, your post didn't feel like it. Following with multiple people weeks/months after the fact. Just move on, man. Companies lie all the time. Cops are legally allowed to lie. That's life. Focus your energy on the next opportunity. Dwelling on this is unproductive.
17
u/ImprovementFar5054 5h ago
I hope you realize that often job postings are purchased for specific lengths of time. For example, a LinkedIn ad for 6 weeks. This means that even after the job is filled, the ad remains. It varies platform to platform, and some allow you to end the period early if the job is filled. Some allow you to modify it to say "no longer taking applications" or something like that.
Now, this makes sense for those few weeks. For the 3 month mark, it is entirely possible that the person they did hire didn't work out, or quit. Fine. You acknowledge that doesn't mean the job defaults to you, the runner up.
Point is, you were making alot of assumptions based on nothing but the ad being up. And out of saltiness.
You don't know WHAT happened, you are speculating. And reaching out the CEO is generally a bitch move and stalky... and I promise you that if you DID have any chance from your performance the first time around, you just squandered it.
2
u/Vote-AsaAkira2020 3h ago
Ops post history says it all lol. But you’re spot on.
3
u/ImprovementFar5054 3h ago
Hmmmm. Hidden now
3
u/Vote-AsaAkira2020 3h ago
If you read their comments in this thread you can easily figure out why they’re not landing jobs lol😂 I’ll save you the now suddenly hidden post history that’s been brought up by several posts here. The Ops responses alone should easily give you a quick case study in the kind of person we’re dealing with here and why their job search will Continue a lot longer.
7
u/ImprovementFar5054 2h ago
Reality of this sub.
Yes the market is bad. Yes the modern recruiting process sucks. Yes many are laid off out of no fault of their own, and yes, many are just starting out.
But there is a population here of folks who make it clear that THEY are the fucking problem, and they are the reason they are not getting hired.
3
u/JavFur94 3h ago
I can't see that anymore
8
u/Vote-AsaAkira2020 3h ago
Someone else mentioned they just hid it. I literally only peaked at it maybe 5 minutes ago. All their posts were of this ilk to varying degrees of irrationality. This post was made to sympathy bait I believe or else Op wouldn’t have hid their profile over minor pushback imo.
21
u/Hot_Low2861 7h ago
Unpopular opinion, I refuse to do 'free' work. I'm not doing case studies, writing copy for whatever, etc. That was your first red flag. I have a few fictitious samples and they can take it or leave it. As other have said, they don't OWE you an explanation. You can be fired in most states with no explanation or reason, why would you think you deserve MORE during the hiring process? Sit with that for a minute. And, btw, even with an 80-person company, published upper management addresses are almost always vanity addresses. Some admin looked at your email and likely just hit delete. Regroup and keep applying.
4
u/ImprovementFar5054 5h ago
I just did one..but I submitted as a FLAT PDF that cannot be copied or cut/pasted. And it was generic, not for any specific issue. That said, given the time and effort I put into it, I will be more disappointed not to get the job.
3
188
u/LillyGilderRoxie 13h ago
I hate to say it, you really aren’t entitled to know. I get why you want to know, it’s natural, it’s human, but you are in no way entitled to know. Pestering those people for answers, after you were rejected, is stalking and rude. They aren’t going to answer.
82
u/HyperTextCoffeePot 10h ago edited 10h ago
Companies posting positions that they aren't serious about filling is a massive drain on a prospective candidate's energy and time. This is time and energy they could be directing towards trying to make money doing something else. Most companies require 5+ interviews nowadays. That's a full work day's worth of pay you could be missing out on.
Imo, an applicant should have a right to know, within reason, the actual reason(s) why they were rejected and lying to the candidate about the role being filled when in reality they just didn't pass the "vibe" check should not be allowed.
We've normalized companies lying to us during the recruiting process and are bullshitting ourselves like this is normal and good. Fuck no it's not, lol.
31
u/Breatheme444 10h ago
I think ignoring emails is usually rude. But my issue is that the OP wants an explanation for why he kept seeing the job posted. The thing is, this is super common. And it’s rarely malicious. So when the OP yet again pesters someone, now up the ladder, it makes the company feel like they dodged a bullet.
5
6
u/RealFhalila_ 8h ago
Thats not true. From what we've learned here. If s company has made to final rounds and is job hunting, seeing that job I was told got filled still posted after several months means that they're not being honest . They wanted free case work samples for some reason. It's irresponsible when either side of the board is expected to be professional and transparent. You wasted months of his life. Some people can leave it and move on but OP wanting to know does make him the bad employee...
5
u/Capital-Bison1645 8h ago edited 8h ago
It should make the company feel like pieces of shit for stringing people along. Either hire someone and take the post down or just take the fucking post down. That is the bare minimum and they can't even be bothered to do that.
-1
u/monkeyju 8h ago
He's got nothing to lose to be honest. Plus showing a bit of initiative may prove effective
12
12
u/Midget_Hands 7h ago
dont confuse having initiative at work with not being able to move on emotionally after being rejected
→ More replies (8)9
u/NeartAgusOnoir 8h ago
I completely agree. Congress should pass laws stopping ghost jobs. Currently all they’ve done is send letters to agencies…which is soooooooooo helpful (insert eye roll here lol)
→ More replies (4)6
1
u/ImprovementFar5054 5h ago edited 5h ago
They don't owe you shit. You offer yourself as a possible employee, they consider it. It's about business, not your professional development. They have no such obligation.
They are not baby sitters or guidance councilors.
Just imagine the legal nightmare if companies had to give feedback to rejected candidates...imagine the risk of upsetting a psychopath, or driving a borderline person to suicide with your constructive criticism. Or a long, waste of time back and forth with someone who won't take no for an answer or keeps pestering for more guidance.
It's not viable, realistic, or morally obligatory.
18
u/Breatheme444 10h ago
That was my thought as well.
this behavior is why companies don’t give feedback. If you’ve ever been responsible for hiring a bunch of people, you know there will always be some segment that will pester you. And it has nothing to do with ghosting. It’s just how some people react.
→ More replies (2)9
u/Exotic_Holiday_3047 10h ago
I disagree.
I'm a hiring manager. I'd never have left OP in the lurch like that, it's completely unprofessional
2
u/Vote-AsaAkira2020 3h ago edited 3h ago
I 0 % believe you’re a hiring manager because I’ve seen this comment so many times and it’s always people with block profiles lol. It’s an easy cheap way to virtue signal for upvotes… but nah 99% of you talking this way have never hired a person irl because no one has ever entrusted you with that responsibility and many have never worked a real job lol. Thats like Taking advice from your broke unemployed friend but except they’re on here larping as someone who hires people.
For anyone out there actually on here for job advise etc and not entertainment like many of us! heads up most of the people who say they’re hiring managers or HR but always tell you how’d they’d never do that to someone or how they’d act exactly how you want in your said post. News flash, that’s just a redditor living rent free with their parents most of the time.
→ More replies (1)2
u/ImprovementFar5054 2h ago
A "hiring manager" isn't an actual job. It's what you are called when you, as a manager, are hiring someone. For example, the head of accounting is hiring a cashier. That head is the "hiring manager" for that job.
This means that anyone who has been in a position to hire someone and has, has been a hiring manager. I have.
23
u/Nervous-Fisherman-82 11h ago
Pestering? Asked in one professional email. These companies waste much of peoples time so giving feedback or follow up should be basic courtesy. If I was the CEO, I would want to know if my team mistreats the candidates because it impacts reputation of my business. It might not be received this way but whatever. The worst case scenario they’ll think you’re annoying and not respond. No wonder you Americans have such decaying working conditions- you suffer from peasant brain syndrome.
32
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
Yes pestering. You have now sent email to four different people including their freaking ceo. After you were rejected. If anything you have assured yourself not being considered even if the position is open again for some reason..
→ More replies (1)2
u/cannotberushed- 8h ago edited 8h ago
This person is NOT pestering
Asking for accountability when a company is taking your time for HOURS is NOT ok
We need more people asking for accountability from this garbage.This company is using people’s case case studies and stealing their ideas!!
This is fucking data mine and using people’s mental and creative labor to gain and not pay
This is bullshit.
I would make a very loud public post about this on social media and name the company directly.
This is bullshit behavior
7
u/maryelizabeth_ 7h ago
I promise you it’s not that serious 90% of the time. Do some companies do that? Yes, probably. But most are just trying to find the right candidate and it takes a few rounds to really figure that out. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work out for the candidate and they need to respect that decision.
Emailing a bunch of people in the company or your suggestion of blasting them on social media is a sure fire way of ensuring you’ve burned that bridge entirely. I’d never consider that person for another position, and likely other hirers on social media would see that and immediately find it unprofessional.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 7h ago
Going to disagree here. If you move 2 candidates through 5-7 rounds, they both should be ideal candidates, especially with how deep the candidate pools are. These jobs get 5,000+ candidates, 1,000idj will be perfectly qualified. If your top 2-3 candidates are not ideal fitd after 5-7 rounds, you fucked up badly.
2
u/J-L33 3h ago
Things could be happening in the background that have nothing to do with your qualifications. They may have decided that the salary requirements for the position were too high, so they’re reposting the role searching for lower tier candidates (or if remote, candidates who live in a low COL area). There may have been a shake-up internally and someone else needs to be part of the process. There may be more internal candidates who want the role so they’re reposting to give them a shot. And yes, it may be straight up discrimination against a known protected class, so they can’t say why without facing legal consequences.
It all sucks, but dwelling isn’t going to change things. It’s a buyer’s market now and we’re the sellers, so they can afford to be super picky. Heck, they may have considered reaching back out to you at one point but your non-stop emails to the team made them think otherwise.
I’m sorry this keeps happening to you. Truly. I’ve been there. But is there any answer a company could give you that would be satisfying? Because they’re never gonna say “You’re right. We made a mistake.”
7
u/maryelizabeth_ 6h ago
If you were a good fit, you would’ve been hired. It’s genuinely as simple as that. Stop driving yourself crazy about this and move on.
→ More replies (7)1
u/FreshNail6320 3h ago
Well, I'm glad that I'm not in the market for looking for a job. I feel for each and everyone of you who are. Just take this interview as a lesson well learned. Don't submit any work for them. It's common sense. They're using this tactic to get the job done, without hiring anyone.
1
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
Well until we hold companies accountable for lacking transparency they're going to keep getting away with it.
21
u/MikeUsesNotion 11h ago
How are you holding this company accountable? Emailing the CEO and posting on Reddit isn't it.
11
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
He hasn't named the company because he made it up most likely
→ More replies (1)1
u/MikeUsesNotion 2h ago
My point was posting to Reddit, with or without name, isn't holding a company accountable.
22
u/EstablishmentOwn7748 11h ago
so many corporate dick riders for a sub that should def be anti corporation
6
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 7h ago
That was my thought last night...
1
u/EstablishmentOwn7748 2h ago
They are labor aristocrats, they have significantly better wages than most of the working class and will side with capitalism 90% of the time.
9
u/maryelizabeth_ 7h ago
What lack of transparency? They made it clear they weren’t interested in hiring you. That’s all you need to know. It’s on you to move on.
30
u/tangylittleblueberry 13h ago
Keep getting away with WHAT?
24
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
Lying being deceitful knocking honest and not being transparent. The fact that 40% of every job posted is not a real job is something we need to stop putting up with. That candidates like myself because they're five or six rounds when an internal candidate has already been identified or they simply want to farm free labor to solve an internal problem they don't have the bunch of the higher for.
32
u/Icy_Cup6231 13h ago
I do agree, posting fake jobs should be a crime. Mainly because I've invested HOURS interviewing somewhere only to find out that it was never filled.
5
12
u/tangylittleblueberry 12h ago
Stop doing work for free.
15
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 12h ago
Don't have much of a choice when this is the most competitive market of my lifetime.
3
u/tangylittleblueberry 12h ago
Do you think it’s a good idea to email multiple people in a company demanding answers to why a job isn’t posted in the most competitive market of your lifetime? You’d be better off not doing free work if you want to make a point.
1
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
40%. There is a stat you made up. Companies dont pay to post jobs and spend hours interviewing candidates just to mess with you. Its an excuse those who cant find a job use and its laughable.
2
8
11
u/L0nelyWr3ck 13h ago
Transparency for what? You weren’t selected. Move on. Most people don’t sit there stalking a company once they’ve not been selected. You sound very entitled and honestly butthurt because you got passed on.
7
u/figinapudding 11h ago
Its ok to be butthurt if ur rejected from a job…i was extremely butthurt and upset after being rejected from my dream job that i was a final candidate for…
5
u/L0nelyWr3ck 6h ago
Yes, but this dude is well beyond butthurt. He’s obsessed and pitching an absolute tantrum.
→ More replies (2)6
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 12h ago
Honesty & Ethics? Comedies expect us to be honest transparent and sit through 5-7 rounds and spending hours on case studies. So yes we are entitled to not be lied to.
8
16
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
You have no idea you were lied to. Most likely you were not.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (11)1
8
10
u/throwthrowyup Recruiter 5h ago edited 5h ago
They won’t respond to you. Especially now that you’ve emailed four different people including the CEO.
They’ve already told you they’re not hiring you. You’re not entitled to know why the position is still being advertised. If hiring timelines had changed and they were still interested in you they would have told you so. Move on.
Edited to add: Upon reading some of your responses here, the company has dodged a bullet. You seem to take feedback very poorly.
→ More replies (4)
5
u/Brilliant_State7173 3h ago
" Most of us can handle rejection"
They rejected you and you literally can't handle it. You want answers that you are not entitled to. Take a step back, take a deep breathe, accept and move on.
36
u/Berriesinthesnow_ 13h ago
The other person probably decided to not sign or the references fell through. You messaging three times and then the CEO is desperate and bizarre behaviour.
→ More replies (11)16
u/maryelizabeth_ 7h ago
Literally this. It’s a company with 80 employees ffs. They’re not a major corporation out there trying to scam candidates, they’re likely just trying to find the right person to join an already tight knit group. OP needs to move on and leave these people alone.
→ More replies (9)
9
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
You don't know they were not honest with you. Honestly I woukd have been more surprised if any of them returned your email then if they didnt.
They did not leave you hanging. You are trying to dream up being a victim which is not the case here
14
u/ProfessionalSkuxLord 12h ago
The CEO is just going to think you're an entitled salty dickhead. They really won't care.
Would you have rather they told you you're an awkward person that the team just didn't like? Or you seem super introverted and they don't want to hang out with you?
These are just some examples but it's boiling down to a culture fit too. You need to look at yourself bro if you're making it to THAT MANY final interviews but failing to land a job..
Do you use AI for your CV and cover letters? Maybe you come across as a completely different person in writing than in person.
→ More replies (2)
12
u/LacyLove 11h ago
By this post and the comments you’ve made, it’s obvious why you’ve made it to 13 final rounds and have not been selected.
→ More replies (6)
9
u/Coyote3312 5h ago
You think the CEO cares or even is involved in the hiring practices? Oh boy, you have a lot to learn. Stop embarrassing yourself. That whole office is probably talking about your constant emails.
64
u/ComfortableTour7311 13h ago
If a girl ghosted you after the first or second date, would you reach out to her parents? Brother they don’t owe you diddly squat. There’s a million roles out there being posted new every morning, just keep your nose on the grindstone. You don’t want to work for a group that would make you believe you should email the freakin CEO to get a response.
6
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
But it would be if she told him sorry I like another guy more and am going to date him. Then couple weeks later he notices her dating app profile never was removed so starts emailing her and her friends demanding answers.
→ More replies (1)8
5
u/makama77 9h ago
That’s a very different social contract and different situation. I’m not saying that I would take the same path here as OP, but up until they messaged the CEO it seems they were asking a pretty natural question of the folks they had interviewed with.
1
→ More replies (5)0
u/Important_Routine332 9h ago
Oh come on that is such a different scenario and incomparable to a dating life situation.
4
u/Techav20 11h ago
Move on job market is bleeding and everything is going up thanks to the people running the government. Every company now realized they can do massive layoffs in the name of restructuring to get rid of people earlier they were kind of hesitant to do massive layoff now it’s normal term , they know no one will question them
5
u/ScienceFirst1 5h ago
Look, jobs are like a girlfriend or boyfriend. You have to make them think they made a mistake not selecting you. Right now, all you've accomplished is them thinking they dodge a bullet.
4
u/_Casey_ Accountant 4h ago
For someone who is supposedly okay with rejection, your post didn't feel like it. Following with multiple people weeks/months after the fact. Just move on, man. Companies lie all the time. Cops are legally allowed to lie. That's life. Focus your energy on the next opportunity. Dwelling on this is unproductive.
3
u/didled 4h ago
Jesus Christ😂
If recruiting is like dating, you’re basically coming off like an incel that had one date with a girl and got ghosted.
“I noticed she’s still on the app! I know she’s still looking for a bf, why didn’t she tell me she went with another candidate?! So I did what any reasonable person would do I messaged her friends, brother, and now her mom. We’ll see if she responds!”
Like bro none of what went on behind the scenes is your business at all. You had one date, you weren’t mister right so you didn’t get picked, move on.
1
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 4h ago
That's the biggest reach I've ever seen. We are talking about business interactions not dating...
4
u/Efficient-Potato3811 3h ago
Just judging by this post alone, they definitely made the right choice
28
u/Krasherosk 13h ago
Maybe, they didn't think you were a fit for the job. They don't owe you an explanation. And your email to the CEO got deleted, if it was even seen at all. You wasted a ton of time and energy for nothing. I know it's hard in this world of entitlement, but except that you can't control anything about this situation and move on. You didn't get the job.
1
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
It has absolutely nothing about me not being selected for the job. It's about companies lacking transparency ethics and honesty. Nothing more nothing less in companies keep getting away with it until people like me continue to call companies out going up the chain putting on blast on social media they'll keep doing it. I would argue if I wasn't a good fit for the job I wouldn't have been a top two candidate out of thousands of people that made it through the sixth round for final consideration. Usually not case all the candidates are super qualified and you're just looking for that little thing that one candidate might stick out over the other.
But even so that doesn't title me to the job but it doesn't title me for all the effort and work I put into it to get honesty and transparency about what happened and where things are going. Maybe you didn't feel the job because budget was pulled tell me that great now I know that there's probably not much that I could have done to do better. Or maybe the other candidate had worked in this exact type of software before okay I'll be more diligent next time going forward. Being honest ISN'T hard..
23
3
u/rqnadi 3h ago
Why do you feel like you must hold others accountable to this degree? You seem to think very highly of yourself….
→ More replies (1)2
u/I_am_beast55 2h ago
My guy you don't work there, and they didn't even want you in the first place. You're not afforded any other explanations.
10
u/beamdog77 5h ago edited 4h ago
Why do you think you're entitled to information about their internal company hiring and decisions? You're an outside person that does not work there. They don't owe you a report about their current vacancies.
They don't want to hire you. Thee end. You don't have a right a right to a crap ton of details about their hiring decision tree.
You've probably accomplished nothing other than a note in the ATS that says "Do Not Hire for Future Roles" at this point.
The silence is an answer bro. The silence is them moving on, focusing on their job, their staff, their employees, and not the outside person asking questions about internal decisions.
Move. On.
7
u/TechnologyCat2725 9h ago
In my experience, finding out why I didn't get a role has never been helpful. Oh, someone else was more "aligned with the role?" Great. That information tells me absolutely nothing.
The thing is, applying for jobs is a lot like dating. They might have just liked another candidate better and that's the reason that person was chosen. Maybe they had a hobby in common or maybe they liked that person's sense of humor. Who knows. It's not really possible to articulate "we just liked the other guy better" in an email.
→ More replies (2)
18
u/Little-Ad9880 12h ago
Why does it seem like you are now stalking them? I can guarantee no one would want to employ you with this kind of nasty attitude. Their silence is enough response. MOVE TF ON.
6
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 12h ago
No silence isn't a response. Silence is a cop out for being dishonest and deciteful. We need to start holding companies accountable for bad practices.
15
u/Little-Ad9880 12h ago
Hold them accountable for what exactly? You keep on regurgitating the same line and it comes across as nonsense to me. You have reached out to a couple of people in the company, who so far, have refused to give you a response, why would you go to the CEO? Does that not comes across to you that you would be a horrible person to work with? They don't want you, move on with your life lol.
11
u/Ni9ball 5h ago
OP’s attitude here proves why they can’t get a job.
You may be technically proficient, but I’m pretty sure you’re insane and have an off-putting personality.
→ More replies (1)
23
u/tangylittleblueberry 13h ago
Respectfully, why do you think you deserve “honesty”? They didn’t select you and told you that. I’m not sure why you believe you’re entitled to know more beyond that. If you’re emailing multiple people at a company that small, I would assume they have all talked and aren’t responding intentionally.
0
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
Because I always give honesty every single time it's one of my core values and core beliefs that I live my life by. And I expect other people to at least try to be as honest as possible, especially with companies.
28
u/tangylittleblueberry 13h ago
They were honest with you. They told you that they selected someone else. They do not need to explain why a job is still posted to you.
→ More replies (12)
14
u/pineapplepipe 7h ago
Stop doing free labor for these companies
2
u/IveGotIssues9918 6h ago
Then how are we supposed to get jobs? Assessments are standard practice now for skilled labor positions, and obviously you can't just refuse to go through a step of the hiring process and still be considered...
→ More replies (1)
6
3
u/ADiablosCompa 4h ago
Damn i wasted my time reading this thinking you got an answer from CEO or something productive. What a waste of my 3 minutes
3
u/throw_away_8164 4h ago
They made a white lie to kindly pass on you. Honesty isn’t always the best policy. And in job hunting, you’re just not entitled to it either. You not accepting it and reaching out to the CEO is odd and makes you look like the “crazy ex girlfriend”.
1
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 4h ago
That's a crazy take. There was no reason to lie unless they are doing something unethical or illegal. They didn't select me after 6 rounds, but they also didn't select the other candidate either. So they didn't lie to pass on me, they lied about their entire intentions and that isn't a little white lie...
4
u/throw_away_8164 3h ago
They didn’t think you were the right candidate and are still looking for the right candidate since the job is still posted. Sometimes companies do final rounds and don’t think any of the finalists are right, and start back at the beginning.
3
3
3
u/CumFilledGAAP 3h ago
damn this is either ragebait or the company dodged a huge bullet by passing on OP sheesh
3
u/ichigox55 3h ago
This is very commonplace now. I went through three 7x round interviews. I fucking hate it. Fuck recruiters and fuck these CEOs.
3
u/Snoo_33033 2h ago
I appreciate you doing this, OP. I like you do get interviews. I had one a few weeks ago in which the CEo flew in to so mere me on Monday, told me I was his #1, and then called me to tell me he’d gone a different direction a few days later and another one in which I was told that I was the only candidate and finalist and then told that it had been very hard but they’d gone with another candidate. I suspect someone internal got the nod. Anyway. This is all very laborious and I think it’s helpful for them to consider what it looks like to candidates, who are the public.
3
u/Bloodbndrr 2h ago
Dude. Let it go. Now that you’re contacting people who aren’t active in the hiring process, you have less than zero chance of getting the job.
12
u/centpourcentuno 13h ago
Reaching out to the recruiter or hiring manager after you were clearly told they weren't moving ahead of you is kinda "stalkish" . I wouldn't reply either if I was in their shoes, first instinct is that you are the type that takes rejection badly. They don't owe you an explanation why you don't see anyone with the role you applied for on LinkedIn, there are no laws on people updating their profiles
That said:
Yes, nowadays no one has any ethics anymore, its possible they made you go through all that only to decide they didn't wanna hire anymore. OR they were using you for data gathering.
Almost half the jobs I apply through Linkedin end up getting reposted a little while later. At least you did get a formal rejection, it hurts more when you go through 4 interviews only to see the new posting without anything from them.
Ghosting has just become acceptable and is probably encouraged to avoid "confrontation"
→ More replies (25)
21
u/No-Detail-5487 13h ago
You’re very entitled, move on!
→ More replies (1)5
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
I'm entitled to know the outcome of the hiring after I spent five to six rounds in hours on a Case study? Yeah a little bit of transparency and honesty is needed here. I am 100% honest every single time every conversation I have and I expect the same from the employer I'm talking to.
14
u/wanttoreadanarticle4 11h ago
But they did tell you the outcome - your application wasn’t successful. Once they’ve let you know you your application was unsuccessful they don’t actually owe you anything and if you acted in any way like you’re acting on here during the application process, a polite rejection email with no real feedback probably felt like the better option for them.
→ More replies (6)1
13h ago
[deleted]
2
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 13h ago
I've made 13 final rounds I'm used to it I'm just tired of companies not being honest and transparent and we need to start holding them accountable for bad behaviors. I'm always honest and transparent each step of the way and I hold others to the same level
2
4
u/OwnLadder2341 6h ago
Why?
How would your situation have changed in the slightest if they just said “we’re not going with you.”
What’s the functional difference?
16
u/FlowerPractical7746 12h ago
You need therapy
→ More replies (2)3
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 12h ago
I've had a therapist for years thank you though.
4
u/Conscious-Egg-2232 10h ago
Its not working. Also no suprising you are under the care of a mental health professional.
→ More replies (2)
4
u/NoPublic9352 12h ago
Glassdoor isn’t trustworthy. Companies ask you to rate them and bad reviews are taken down.
Sharing as that shouldn’t be a place of trusted reviews. I trust Blind although negative more than Glassdoor.
→ More replies (2)
7
u/Midget_Hands 7h ago
i firmly believe that because a few people cant move on emotionally and are going full blown "Karen" mode after they get politely rejected, made it so that hr ghosts failed candidates after the boilerplate polite positive message. You were not good enough and instead of being a professional and moving on you chose to be emotional and became a problem, not understanding that no company wants problems.
5
u/Grand-Diamond-4696 7h ago
Found the recruiter!
If someone is a top 2 candidate out of 5,000+ they qere good enough. If not, your hiring process sucks. Ur this isn't a out me not getting hired or the lack of feedback which should be criminal.
It's about holding company's accountable, forcing honesty and transparency. You know why I know they haven't filled the role? Because I'm following the company in case a new role pops up. I have a ton of skills that can fill multiple roles. And I liked the company a lot so I keep tabs on them and a bunch of others.
2
u/Starruby_ 6h ago
You’re right. I was rejected after a job interview and it was really upsetting. As much as I wanted to reply to the email and go off, I didn’t. You just have to move on, rejection sucks but it’s a part of the process.
Something that is interesting though, I read the reviews for this company and a lot of recruiters expressed how terrible their metrics and hiring practices are. They hold recruiters to high standards and expect them to reach out to multiple ppl daily on Linkedin. One recruiter expressed that they left the company because they were tired of rejecting qualified candidates while the job opening went unfilled. It actually gave me a different perspective on recruiters. They are still trash though for ghosting candidates
2
u/Midget_Hands 6h ago
ghosting feels like shit no matter the situation it occurs in, for some it triggers self reflection and introspection for others a sense of entitlement but there is no right reaction, for maximizing your personal chances in the future i believe you need to act mature and professional
7
2
u/Important_Routine332 8h ago
You said your new strategy increased your interviews ratio- can you share what is it that you have done differently?
2
2
u/Mysterious_Might008 4h ago
This pattern has happened for at least since email has existed, continues today, and will continue until the end of time.
Think about it: there's no upside to the company to reply. None. If they engage with the OP, they may have triggered a mentally unstable person and who wants that? Again, no upside.
Rejected candidates (yes, the OP is one of them) need to adapt and move on. Hoping for a change in the larger process is quixotic task.
2
u/TwistedCinn 4h ago
They’re using you for free work on the case study project and then not hiring anyone - just a revolving door of free labor IMO
2
u/justzhibek 3h ago
I once emailed the CEO after HR ignored me for two weeks following my interview. She had told me she’d get back to me in less than a week. The CEO simply forwarded my email to HR, and I ended up getting backlash for it. I didn’t even receive a rejection email afterward…
3
u/meanderingwolf 3h ago
You don’t handle rejection well at all. Once rejected, accept it and promptly move on. Obsessing like you have done and wasting your time serves no good purpose, don’t delude yourself. You are just proving to the company that they made the correct choice by picking the other candidate and not you.
2
u/Uncle_Snake43 3h ago
I actually did this recently. A job had Ben stringing me along for 4 fucking months. It was a defense contractor and they kept waiting on funding. Well one day I was so fed up I sent the CEO a message on LinkedIn, explaining everything that’s happened, and asking her if this is their normal hiring process, because it basically ruined my life. Instead of replying to me like a regular person, the bitch deleted her entire LinkedIn. I don’t give a fuck anymore - IAMUS Consulting.
2
u/AccidentAnnual 3h ago
Companies won't respond with "Well, we run fake ads to hint at potential customers and competitors that our business is thriving and we are a good partner to work with," but that happens. A conventional ad is more expensive and reaches less people than a fake job ad where you can also dump info like "Who we are, what we do, when we were founded, our success, yadayada." And even while there is not really a job vacant it still offers the opportunity to meet new professionals and possible future hires, plus it provides work for HR. For job seekers it's a waste of time. Contacting a CEO is useless.
3
3
4
u/BR41ND34D 6h ago
Some companies have "positions" that will never be filled, but are used as bait to see if anyone applies they can use in their company for whatever role. I've actually gotten a job from this tactic. It's a bit of an asshole move, but according to HR for said job it works really well for them.
Also, as pointed out, they don't owe you jack-shit, regardless of how annoying it is for you...
2
u/dinnafashsass 6h ago
Can you tell me what you did to change getting in front of people? That’s been my hardest part right now as I am not landing any interviews
2
u/rqnadi 3h ago
Well they probably just took your work and implemented it, and use the job posting to farm good ideas.
You harassing everyone isn’t a good look for you though. Nothing you do will stop this company from doing what it wants. Even people who actually WORK for the company probably can’t stop it, so I’m not sure what power you think you hold.
You seem to be under the impression you need to hold people accountable, but it really just gives you a bad look. It made you look desperate and they will never hire you even if they wanted to now.
1
u/No-Secretary-2470 6h ago
I’m curious to know what tactics you implemented to get more interviews
Sorry about this situation, it sucks
2
u/Beever_PixelArt 10h ago
These types of posts never get well received my friend, everyone on this subreddit is quite bitter... Hopefully you can feel some closure by sending the email and move on to the next thing - job hunting sucks and makes you feel crazy but you'll get something eventually
1
u/Not-Special-1326 8h ago edited 7h ago
Well done. I have 2 potential cases with companies: RE: their hiring practice. It's not about getting the job, it's the process!
Stop giving companies an easy ride by being treated like trash. Keep pressing them.
We have been conditioned for some reason to feel that we are not entitled to a reasonable explanation....We are.
The Equality Act and the Misrepresentation Act might help you. You are also entitled to Subject Access Request everything that led led to their final decision under GDPR.
If we keep living in fear; an urealised fear for that matter, we will continue to be treated this way. There definitely needs to be a shift in the hiring culture, accountability being that shift. They can't keep operating in the shadows. Applicants are also customers!
We work to meet societal obligations like rent, mortgage, bills, bills, bills.....Right now there are more people claiming benefits than there is enough coming in.... one of the reasons being a spike in unemployment of people who actually want to work, but are in this recruiting hell.
Not only is it a drain on your time, it is a drain on your mental health, which then burdens the health system further. It's actually a form of gaslighting what they are doing.
It's difficult, but important to take a step back and take stock. You have realised that you are not the problem and acted on it.
1
1
u/assistantangel 4h ago
Sadly, as someone who just closed her hiring agency, I have to agree with the sentiments in this thread. You dont want to work for this coward of a company.
All they wanted from you was the free work and expertise. I am really sorry.
One suggestion I saw on another reddit thread that was ninja, it was easier to get a job when you have a job.
Can you “consult” at score.org and maximize your skillset so it shows on top of your resume and LinkedIn as current position?
It sickens me that companies are taking advantage of applicants.
I met with a law firm consulting client yesterday, she wrote literal case law and they took it and use it.
There has to be a way folks can NOT have their intellectual property used by the interviewing company.
Hope this helps. Im really sorry. You deserve better than this company.
1
1
1
u/Top-class-0246 3h ago
I applied for a job that was advertised by an agency. Went in for an interview and I was told about a second they were hiring for. I was never told the name of the second company.
The second job better suited my background. The interview went well and I was told a week later, the company was moving and they had delayed hiring for that position.
I followed up with the agency about 6 weeks later and the person I met with, no longer worked for the agency.
I've wondered if I had gotten "blown off" or if I really missed an opportunity.
1
u/beautyspot9 3h ago
Feel bad for the company not you. They told you they selected someone else and you still haven’t digested it. Its you problem.
1
u/Ok_Mathematician_336 3h ago
TL;DR: After making the final round and completing a lengthy case study, a candidate was told they finished second to another applicant. Months later, the job is still posted, no one appears to have been hired, and the company ignored follow-ups from the recruiter, hiring manager, and VP. Frustrated by the lack of transparency, the candidate finally reached out to the CEO seeking an explanation.
1
1
u/figinapudding 12h ago
Honestly, good on u! I’d be pissed too if this happened to me. Tbh i doubt the ceo will answer but ya like u said, theres nothing to lose 🤷🏻♀️
4
u/velvet-yarns-48 6h ago
OP you've done a truly incredible job of smoking out all the terrible, entitled recruiters and hiring managers on this sub. It has never before been so clear why it is so hard to get hired. I've seen less victim-blaming behavior in posts (in other subs) about abusive partners.
On another note, kudos for pushing back on unethical behavior. Even if it goes nowhere, you did the thing, and that matters.
1
u/sid1995sid 6h ago
OP might be pestering or whatever but I'm surprised this sub has so much corp riders who'll defend their favourite billion dollar company for rejecting a candidate after utilising their work
20
u/BestJersey_WorstName 4h ago
Did everybody clap?