Remember how simple life was back in July? Quarantine was in full swing, and we lazed in bed all day, free from the threat of missed deadlines looming over our heads.
For some mysterious reason, I decided to leave that blissful nothingness to jump into ‘something’ productive; let’s just say the never-ending internship announcements on LinkedIn took a toll on my self-esteem.
After searching around a bit, I found the perfect job: A remote content writer position for a Fintech startup.
I spent a day crafting the ultimate CV, pouring over guides on resume building, downloading custom templates, and adjusting line breaks till no end. Luckily, they responded pretty quickly and set up an interview. Despite the occasional faux pas, the interviewer cheerfully invited me for a second meeting as well.
So, there I sat, at 5 pm on a Friday, meticulously fixing my hijab and pondering over points to discuss.
…But he never showed. I shot him a polite email as a reminder but to no luck.
He had, as the kids say, ghosted me.
I’m not going to lie; it was a bit disappointing. But the fact that my family wasn’t even surprised when I told them of this apparent failure was downright frustrating.
That was because this is just one of countless ‘cut-offs’ faced by virtually all candidates in Pakistan. As soon as an employer deems you unworthy, maybe because a better candidate came along or the job requirements changed, they hastily sweep you under the rug without so much as an explanation.
And no, it’s not okay.
Most candidates who apply for a job don’t just do so because they wish to kill time, like me. They do so because they need the work, need the money, need a start. After submitting their CVs, they wait in anticipation of a positive response. Upon receiving a call, they show up with polished research in creaseless suits to dazzle the interviewer. Once those 30 or so minutes pass, they keep checking their phones in anxiousness every day.
1 day. 2 days. 3 days. A week goes by.
They finally give up, thinking they probably weren’t good enough.
But a recruiter ghosting job candidates isn’t just disrespectful – it’s also costly. Expectant candidates often have to juggle whether or not to pass up on other opportunities as they wait for an offer that might come – after all, you shouldn’t take on more than you can handle. By the time they figure out they were left in the seen zone, it may be a tad too late.
So, where does this dismissive recruiter attitude come from?
Well, economics. There is a vast supply of out-of-work individuals foraging for a job, and an ample supply of fresh-faced graduates wanting to make a mark. Conversely, the companies hiring them in our nascent, recession-ridden economy are but a few.
This imbalance tips the scale in the recruiter’s favor and they sit with their heads high at the interview, fully aware that the person sitting before them needs the job more than they need them. If they fall short of the mark, the hirers will simply move on to the next candidate in a very long list.
Upon selecting the right candidate, employers neglect other worthy applicants, just like a child neglects all other toys when he gets the one he wants. The only difference is that candidates aren’t toys.
They are professionals seeking to add value to a venture by leveraging skills gained over years of rigorous studying and sleepless nights. The least they deserve is a respectful rejection, acknowledging their application and wishing them luck.
Of course, it depends. Recruiters don’t have it easy since they often have to sift through thousands of CVs for a single job. Some are incomplete, some are poorly formatted, some have absurd grammatical errors (there v their, anyone?)
At the end of the day, though, they only shortlist the cream of the crop.
And if such applicants are worthy of an interview, they are surely worthy of a dignified dismissal, instead of being given the cold shoulder. Ghosting job candidates, or really anyone, is just plain rude.
This apathy towards candidates isn’t just limited to a lack of professional display after the fact but can be found in the ‘job’ adverts themselves.
Unpaid corporate internships are funny businesses: Companies often look for 4th-year students or full-fledged graduates with 13 different skills, a capacity to learn quickly, the ability to think on their feet, and a willingness to work from 8 to 5 with no compensation for their services.
Often there’s a nice twist: Good performance may lead to a permanent position.
But what does milking a graduate’s skills for two months with no pay tell you about the business?
Today, ‘professionalism’ and ‘work etiquette’ are just two words one might utter at an interview after a long night of rehearsing: fancy but meaningless.
There’s no denying it: there are few candidates who actually deserve a chance. Undusted shoes, a lack of punctuality, and worse, zero company knowledge more than make up for a ticket home.
But that’s just one side of the story.
Invasive questions, underpaying offers, and not notifying vis a vis job status is the other.
We should bring both parties to account for the shambles the Pakistani job market is in right now.
Maybe, with a revival in standard etiquettes, that could change.
After all, when everyone receives their dues, they would contribute meaningfully to their work, instead of seeing it as just another responsibility slung upon their shoulders.
