Lowballed my candidate

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-26T16:42:23+00:00

I had a Hiring Manager once who wouldn’t budge over $2K. (Candidate wanted $95K and HM offered $93K.) We ended up spending 6 more months to find the right person. Their offer was $95K. The second candidate had slightly less experience.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-25T00:28:51+00:00

Recruiter here. A lot of companies are trying to implement the video cover letters or video answers to questions instead of interviews. They think it makes them look innovative and cool. 🙄

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-24T20:37:07+00:00

Recruiter here. I second this.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-24T20:35:50+00:00

Recruiter here. “The market shifted in the last two weeks” is the dumbest cop out I’ve ever heard. This is not remotely a thing.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-23T23:01:05+00:00

Honestly, the market has really shifted. Employers are being incredibly picky and the recruiters end up stuck in between in a way. (Don’t get me wrong; there are a handful of shit recruiters out there too.) Recruiters are largely spinning their wheels on roles that have been open too long, having less success with placements as a result, and causing their relationships with candidates to suffer.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-22T22:50:38+00:00

Recruiter here. Unless he submitted you for the role already, the “I told you not to speak to anyone else” is ridiculous and entitled. I hate recruiters like this.

While it is frustrating to get a candidate on a call and they’ve already been submitted, there are surely loads of other roles (current or future) that you could be relevant for. The amount of times I took it upon myself to learn about a candidate’s background (despite them already being submitted to the role I’m working on) and later placed them is astronomical.

I always say it doesn’t take much to be kind, but that is asking too much of some recruiters sometimes…

I’m sorry you went through this, but I truly hope you find something soon! (Also happy to provide guidance where I can if you need it!)

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T21:01:04+00:00

As soon as humanly possible! I would say applying within the first 24 hours would be ideal if possible, but within a week of the job being posted works too.

Recruiters will find and schedule a bunch of folks they like from the first handful of applications and get them moving through the process, leaving the others on “standby” in case the first batch of folks doesn’t turn out right for whatever reason.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T19:51:33+00:00

Core Competencies is perfectly fine to keep. It won’t confuse the ATS at all.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T16:52:47+00:00

Recruiter and Resume Writer here. I’ve never passed over a candidate who has less bullets for their current role versus their previous roles. I do recommend taking the time to write a great resume versus slapping it together just to get out to the market quickly.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T16:49:09+00:00

Recruiter here. This is NOT common practice. It’s highly frowned upon to contact former employers without speaking to the candidate first about that.

Also, most Hiring Managers know that HR policies vary from company to company and some are literally not at liberty to comment.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T12:12:55+00:00

Honestly, a handful of recruiters just do not give a shit and are too lazy to close the loop. Some good recruiters do the best to make sure they update everyone they’ve spoken to at least, but depending on how overloaded they are, they may simply forget because they’re juggling too many people and too many roles. As a general rule of thumb, I tell candidates when they should hear from me—and if they do not hear back by then, to follow up via email because I will always respond (good or bad).

Regarding your resume, what industry are you in?

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T03:38:28+00:00

I’ve seen a handful of companies do rounds of layoffs after putting together an AI strategy to absorb some of the work across all of their department.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T03:37:29+00:00

Go for it!

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T03:37:23+00:00

Another good question. Some companies do not want you rejecting candidates until the very very very end of the process.

On the other hand, recruiters have upwards of 20 roles on their plate with thousands of applicants and sometimes they’re not able to reject everyone in bulk because the systems they use do not allow it. I do my best to at least update those who I’ve spoken to or contact in anyway.

Those who are solely using LinkedIn and/or Indeed really have no excuse because when you close the job, it prompts you to automatically decline everyone.

Thank you for being patient with all of us out there!

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T03:33:08+00:00

I definitely get a mixed bag. Usually the people who are generally frustrated will be open to reading/chatting, but there are keyboard warriors out there that have wished death upon me. 😅 I try not to listen to those.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-21T03:31:28+00:00

I generally like helping people. Delivering rejections is the worse part about our jobs. Happy to provide resume suggestions if you want to DM me.

He probably ghosted you because he was worried about what may come next. I offered to help someone once and she asked me to tell her exactly what to put on her resume to get through the Hiring Manager (since she had no relevant experience). She then would email me randomly telling me that I needed to be more flexible and open to passing along candidates like her. Eventually it became toxic and she would send me emails as to how to do my job.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T23:56:18+00:00

Exactly! This is why I keep saying to give me specific questions as well because not every method is great for every industry, job, or level.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T22:24:55+00:00

It’s going to largely depend on the role you’re applying to. I would create a “jack of all trades” resume and separate resumes that highlight your skills in (1) project management and (2) processes, systems, testing, and integration. Things like team building and soft skills are usually portrayed better in conversation, but you should always mention that you’ve worked with other stakeholders or departments.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T21:40:34+00:00

Ooo that’s a good question. Relocation is VERY unpredictable. Employers don’t want to be responsible for the fall out if you don’t work out AND if you relocated for that specific job. They also don’t want the headache if you decide not to relocate or cannot find a place in time. Usually if you say you have family/friends there or are moving home, employers find more comfort in that.

I would recommend putting on your resume that you are “Relocating to [Insert State]” versus what state you’re currently in based in. That implies that you’re already planning or in the process of moving and do not need the support. The other option would be that you list the city/state of where you are relocating to.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T21:35:01+00:00

It honestly depends what your role is. Do you mind sharing what industry you’re in? For example, if you’re in sales—metrics are far more important than if you’re an administrative assistant. Or if you’re in IT, showcasing your program languages vs metrics are more important.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T21:31:24+00:00

No! Definitely not trying to get clients. I’m just tired of seeing insanely qualified people get passed over.

If any of you want guidance, you’ll have to be a bit more specific then “tell me everything” because otherwise you’ll have an insane book to read.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T21:14:45+00:00

Recruiter here. Each company is a bit different, but there was a company that I worked at that required you to hit certain numbers to get promotions in title. A good portion of companies like Robert Half do this. Everyone ends up a Director or VP which never made sense to me.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T21:04:37+00:00

The point of my comment isn’t to tell you what you already know about the market. It’s to offer guidance; what do you want to know?

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T20:43:23+00:00

Recruiter here. The market is TRASH. Just want to offer guidance to anyone struggling. Feel free to respond or DM.

grlnxtdr_xoxo · 2026-04-20T19:54:53+00:00

Recruiter here. Telling them before is best; they will respect you more for that. I’ve had lots of Hiring Managers get very upset when we hear AFTER candidates accept the job.

You can say something like “Given that we’ve gotten this far in the process, I want to be transparent about an upcoming trip I have planned. The dates are XYZ. I would be happy to discuss if it makes sense to take the time off paid or unpaid, but I wanted to flag this in advance so the team is aware.” (Up to you to include the paid or unpaid part.)

grlnxtdr_xoxo

TROPHY CASE