Reasons You May Be Ghosted by a Hiring Manager After an Interview
I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve opened LinkedIn to see a former teacher shaming a company for ghosting them during the hiring process. While I advise my Classroom to Boardroom students never to vent on LinkedIn, I understand why a teacher looking for a role at an education company might feel hurt, sad, or even upset when ghosting happens.
Today, I’d like to give you a little perspective from the other side to help you better understand why this may be happening to you.
First, I want to share a little secret: Hiring managers with roles that a former teacher can fill are getting THOUSANDS of resumes for one role.
What does that mean?
The process has to be automated with software.
What does that mean?
People may fall through the cracks, be rejected by a somewhat cold automated email, or be put in a holding pattern without notification. While this may feel harsh, I must remind you that although the hiring process feels highly personal, it is still business.
And businesses are complex, ever-changing machines. Unfortunately, your resume and desire to fill an open role aren’t the top priority of the company or hiring manager daily.
Hiring is labor-intensive, emotionally draining, and expensive for companies. Most education companies I know try to make the process fair and communicate properly, but sometimes you slip through the cracks or get put into a holding pattern.
Reasons why a company may ghost you during the hiring process
A company-wide hiring freeze.
Leadership change.
The unexpected loss of a large client impacts revenue and budget.
An internal candidate comes forward late in the game and wants the position.
Removal of a team member results in shifting responsibilities within the team or organization.
Other reasons
The hiring manager and their boss were not aligned on the profile of the candidate they wanted to hire, which came out during the hiring process.
The hiring manager’s boss didn’t click with you.
The hiring manager’s boss (or even their boss) doesn’t see you as a culture fit for the larger, broader organization.
The hiring manager had a family emergency and had to take time away from hiring.
The hiring manager has a more critical role that has become vacant that they have to fill before the position you are applying for.
I’ll be blunt here: the hiring process, even though the spotlight is shining on you, isn’t 100% about YOU. Many gears are turning at once, and sometimes a squeaky wheel needs to be oiled.
My advice
Stay steady, stay professional (especially on LinkedIn) and stay humble.
And never, ever let yourself get too excited about a job until you’ve got the offer on the table. Keep your emotions out of the job hunt, put yourself out there for many roles, and interview for other positions until the offer is signed, sealed, and delivered.
