I have a good friend who is an exceptionally talented marketer, and she’s been on the job hunt for several months now. Recently, she shared a few experiences with me that left me completely baffled.

Example One

She interviewed with a fintech company, going through a thorough process: three interviews (with HR, the hiring manager, and a VP) and a presentation round. She received glowing feedback, especially for her presentation. Ultimately, they decided to go with another candidate who had more fintech experience but mentioned they would’ve made her an offer if multiple positions were available. Fair enough, no hard feelings.

A few weeks later, the company reached out to her directly, saying they had a new opening and really enjoyed her candidacy. They asked if she’d be willing to meet with the VP she spoke with during the previous process. She was excited since her first experience with the company had been positive.

She met with the VP, but this time he was unenthusiastic and spent most of the meeting questioning how she’d get up to speed due to her “lack of fintech experience” (she has three years in fintech and five in a similarly fast-paced industry). She expressed her interest and laid out a detailed onboarding and ramp-up plan—though that responsibility really shouldn’t fall on her.

The VP told her he’d get back to her regarding next steps. The next day, her recruiter called to say the VP wanted to move forward but wanted to restart the entire hiring process and run a full slate of candidates before making a decision. Next steps? Another follow-up in a few weeks to a month. 🤯

She declined and withdrew her candidacy.

Example Two

She went through six interviews with another company, culminating in an hour-long meeting with the CEO. Early in the process, she informed the recruitment team and leadership that she’d soon be relocating to Boston to live with her fiancé. Everyone assured her this wouldn’t be an issue.

Fast forward three weeks and six interviews later: the company suddenly decided they wanted someone onsite five days a week and asked if she would reconsider her move. By this point, she had already made arrangements to relocate.

Despite this, she proposed a hybrid arrangement, offering to spend one week per month onsite. (Personally, I thought this was an incredibly generous compromise, but after months in the job market, I understand why she did it.)

A few days later, the recruiter informed her that while everyone had positive feedback, they still wanted someone onsite full-time.

Now she feels cynical, depressed, and completely unmotivated. And honestly, who can blame her?

As someone who is also job hunting, I can’t help but feel that companies have become far too comfortable wasting people’s time and playing mind games. These arbitrary, rigid decisions are a disservice to both candidates and the job market. I’d wager that if companies stopped making such poor recruiting decisions, the unemployment rate would be significantly lower.

TL;DR: High unemployment isn’t just about the economy—it’s also fueled by bad recruiting practices.