‘Why did HR ghost me after my job interview?' — Jobseeker asks and gets advice from career coach, who also advises HR to stop ghosting interviewees

Independent Singapore

11 hours ago

SINGAPORE: You prepped hard. You nailed the interview. You smiled, thanked everyone, and walked out with hope in your heart. Then… nothing. Radio silence. Not even the courtesy of a 'thanks, but no, thanks.'
Welcome to modern job-seeking purgatory—otherwise known as being ghosted by HR. On Channel NewsAsia (CNA)'s Work It podcast, host Tiffany Ang and career counsellor Gerald Tan dissected the all-too-familiar agony of job interview limbo.
In particular, they addressed an email letter from a listener, 'Gary' (not his real name), who poured out his frustrations about being ghosted after going through multiple rounds of interviews. So why are job seekers getting ghosted?
Gerald Tan didn't mince his words: 'You're certainly not the only one that's haunted by this ghost.' Many job seekers, he says, 'send in tons of applications, and they really don't know where the applications go.'
Platforms may show your application as 'under review' for weeks or months, with no follow-up, and even after multiple interview rounds, many companies go quiet. 'The most common reason this happens,' Gerald explains, 'is very simply—sometimes HR forgets to close the loop with the candidates.'
That's right. Forget.
While they're busy pushing successful candidates through to the next round, others are quietly shelved and left to refresh their inbox in vain. Some companies even state outright: 'We'll only contact you if you're shortlisted,' which, let's face it, is corporate speak for 'Don't call us. We'll call you, or rather… We'll ghost you.'
However, ghosting has consequences. 'I think he [Gary] probably has a very bad impression of the company right now,' Gerald says, and he's not wrong—job seekers do talk. And tweet. And leave company reviews on Glassdoor .
So here's Gerald's plea to HR professionals everywhere: 'Please, please, please close off the loop with all your candidates… also tell them what areas they may have been unsuccessful. Where did they lose out, so that they have some closure?' How long should you wait before following up?
Gerald's rule of thumb is two weeks. However, 'there's no hard and fast rule about this,' he clarifies, 'but I would recommend not waiting anything longer than two weeks.'
That said, don't assume rejection just yet. Hiring can be a sluggish beast, especially during peak travel or holiday seasons.
'The hiring manager might go overseas… and that's where some of the recruitment gets hung in the midst of the air,' Gerald explains. 'Good recruiters will keep the candidates warm… they will tell them, 'Hey, we need a bit more time.''
In fact, some candidates have received callbacks two months later. Yes—two months. 'I heard of cases where people thought that the job is done and dusted… two months later, ding ding, they get a call.'
One such delayed offer came from a major multinational tech company. So, patience may pay off—just don't bet the house on it. Don't put all your interview eggs in one job basket
Gerald's advice to Gary and every jobseeker out there stuck in limbo: Keep the momentum going.
'Don't put all your eggs in one basket or one job row just because you've gone through several rounds,' he advises. 'Keep interviewing so that you get multiple offers and can properly evaluate which is best for you.'
In other words: Don't let one ghost stop your hustle. Move on, apply elsewhere, and keep your options open. That next interview might just be the one that sticks. Should I drop a follow-up note?
Tiffany then posed the million-dollar question on behalf of all ghosted job seekers: 'What happens if I don't hear back after two weeks? Should I drop a note?'
'Yeah, you should most definitely drop a note,' Gerald affirms. 'Politely inquire about the status… whether you made it through the next round.'
The keyword here is 'politely' because 'Many jobseekers, out of anxiety… send multiple emails,' Gerald cautions. 'Then it gets irritating for the HR person.'
One email is enough. Maybe two, max. Don't cross over into 'Hey, just following up for the 5th time this week' territory. Nobody likes a clingy candidate. Can I mention I have other job offers?
What if you're on a ticking clock and need to make a decision? Tiffany asked, 'Should I be honest and say, 'Hey, I'm considering something else, so it would be good to know if I'm still on the KIV list'?'
Gerald's take: It depends—just don't sound like you're issuing ultimatums. 'It's okay for you to say that if that's really the case,' he replied, 'but don't say that as a threat… they might think you're trying to push them and call you out on your bluff.'
Honesty is still the best policy. Just keep it humble and sincere. You want to be remembered as the one who followed up gracefully, not as the one who strong-armed a decision. Don't take it personally: Ghosting isn't about you
As personal as it feels, ghosting often isn't a personal attack. Sometimes it's bureaucracy, sometimes it's disorganisation, sometimes it's just plain neglect.
Either way, don't take it to heart. Stay professional. Stay persistent. Most importantly, stay sane.
Because in the unpredictable jungle of modern job-hunting, ghosting is unfortunately part of the terrain, but with good strategy and resilience, you'll come out on the other side—with a job that actually values you enough to write back.
Meanwhile, in a time when layoffs are becoming the new normal and artificial intelligence (AI) is the new office colleague who never takes a coffee break, Singaporean millennial Jeraldine Phneah has a story to share — one that's equal parts sobering, sincere, and surprisingly uplifting for those who are facing the terrible fate of retrenchment like she did.
You can read Jeraldine's full story here: 'How I coped facing layoffs as a millennial' — Singaporean shares her 'retrenchment story' as a reminder that even in 'difficult seasons — growth and renewal are possible'