The Hiring Pendulum: How Market Shifts Expose Employer and Candidate Behavior
A couple of years ago, during the peak of COVID-era hiring, IT professionals became so in demand that many got cocky—some even demanded hiring bonuses. I had candidates disappear just a day before an interview because they received a better offer.
Today, in this market, those same candidates find themselves at the bottom of the list. The landscape has shifted completely to an employer’s market, and now, some companies and recruiters are engaging in similar behavior—ghosting candidates, canceling interviews last minute, or stringing professionals along.
Eventually, the market will shift again, and firms and recruiters with these shady practices will find themselves struggling to attract top talent.
My advice to employers and recruiters:
🔹 Don’t schedule interviews if you’ve already made a hiring decision—it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
🔹 Don’t post jobs just to build a candidate database—your reputation is more valuable than a list of résumés.
🔹 Be transparent in your hiring process—I’ve spoken to candidates who went through 15+ interviews, only for the company to promote an internal candidate at the last minute. While internal promotions are great, firms should be upfront about their hiring intent.
Do your due diligence. Be honest with yourself, your hiring managers, and your recruiters. Before posting a job, make sure you truly need to fill the role—someone might leave a stable job for your offer, only to be left unemployed for months if you change your mind.
At the end of the day, we’re dealing with real people—people with families to support, mortgages to pay, and careers to build. It’s a jungle out there, and time is our most valuable asset. Let’s not waste it.