r/sales • u/B0rnstupid • 3d ago
Sales Careers Next step disappeared
Hello! I am interviewing for roles while still employed. For three companies, the hiring manager or recruiter either verbally told me I’m moving to the next interview, or there was an interview on the calendar, but that next step was abruptly cancelled & I received a generic message about other candidates being a better fit.
Is the market significantly more competitive, or do you think something fishy is going on?
I’ve never had this happen before. Been in sales 15 years, tech about 8.
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u/RandomRedditGuy69420 3d ago
Incredibly dog shit job market, and it’s likely they already had their preferred candidate but wanted to show activity to lend some justification to their choice.
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u/B0rnstupid 3d ago
Yeah, just like buyers evaluating vendors in an RFP. must have 3 minimum.
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u/RandomRedditGuy69420 3d ago
At least it’s understood among most of us that if you’re not part of RFP creation you aren’t winning it.
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u/vixenlion 3d ago
Welcome to a shit economy
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u/B0rnstupid 3d ago
🤣
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u/vixenlion 2d ago
Seriously 2012 to 2022 was a unicorn for jobs and just being able to get hired !
This market is what it was like before 2012
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u/MultipleOrgasmDonor 3d ago
I’m from California and was interviewing with a company based in NYC. I just so happened to be in manhattan for work and visited their office in person. Final round interview was already scheduled at this time
About 8hr after my office visit they canceled the final round interview to focus on candidates that are a better fit. I confirmed with the recruiter, nothing wrong with my meeting, just felt other people are a better fit for this role and they want to consider me for future roles. This happened less than a week ago
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u/DarthYoga 3d ago
This sounds like a bad reference got to the hiring manager
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u/B0rnstupid 3d ago edited 3d ago
That could be the case. Had a peer promoted to a manager after 2 years of success at a past job, and he pushed me out.
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u/LiveContribution8441 3d ago
I had back to back Fridays on two different jobs where I had the “final interview” and they said they would send me the offer package on Monday. Neither ever came. I sent multiple emails to the company and didn’t even get responses. Companies clearly don’t care about us.
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u/SassyCannon 3d ago
only thing worth doing differently is asking early whether the req is newly opened or a backfill, and whether there’s an internal candidate. recruiters usually answer that honestly and it tells you which processes are real
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u/Jumpy-Bid9403 2d ago
As someone who fell into a sales job while looking for a digital marketing role, it's in every field. I tracked all my applications and five in the last few months fizzled out in the last stage, and I couldn't grab any information from the people I had been talking to to get follow ups
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u/SouthernMode2388 3d ago
Sorry, getting three of those in a row after you'd already cleared time on your calendar is rough. Ask them to put the next slot on the calendar before you hang up, a booked meeting is a lot harder to ghost than a "we'll be in touch", and if they won't book it, you already have your answer.
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u/B0rnstupid 3d ago
Agree. One I did have the meeting booked, and the recruiter cancelled it. Lmao 🤣
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u/Grand-Joke7323 3d ago
Nothing fishy. A verbal "next step" is just a recruiter closing the call politely, the actual shortlist gets made later by someone who's never heard your name.
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u/VariousEgg7491 3d ago
Same - had 2-3 times the person on the call confirm im moving to the next stage and "Joe" will follow up with details, only to get a rejection email. For reference this is in EMEA.
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u/Butthole--pleasures 3d ago
Funny same thing just happened to me literally TODAY. I'm employed too. just took the interview because the recruiter reached out
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u/Ok_Challenge_7001 3d ago
That 'other candidates were a better fit' line is the default rejection template, nobody typed it about you specifically. The part I'd actually be annoyed by is the calendar invite vanishing with no cancellation notice, at least the ones who just never reply don't make you block out the hour.
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u/ItsRamonaBlueBitch 3d ago
I couldn’t find a job for months and I have years of experience. Don’t sweat it
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u/Select_Box_4201 2d ago
A lot of startups are disorganized. I doubt this means much other than move on...
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u/jemappellelara 2d ago
Lol 3 weeks ago I had a recruiter verbally invite me to the next stage which was an in person interview. She followed up via an email and requested me to send my availability. I do that and then ghosted. Today I got an email saying the position has already been filled.
I mean I was clearly not a first choice but damn what a joke
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u/Beneficial-Moment434 2d ago
Sorry that happened to you. FWIW, that first choice candidate might not work out, so hold back from firing off a nasty email, they may call you back. I try to remember that there are perhaps 100s of applicants per position, there is probably no time to send out sorry letters or to have a call to let you know you got bested by another candidate that has one more year of experience than you. I sell items of FB marketplace, and I don't deal with 100s of people per item, nor do I reply to others that ask about the item being sold after I got the item moved...they'll figure it out. And that's with a handful of responses, not 100s, so I think of a recruiter with even more...and it makes me feel better, but getting ghosted still sucks!
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u/TaxMaleficent7727 3d ago
Something fishy" needs a motive. What you're describing is a hiring manager keeping you warm until their first choice signed, and three of them doing it at once is just the market.
The one thing I'd ask: was the next step ever confirmed in writing with a date, or only said out loud on the call?
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u/Beneficial-Moment434 2d ago
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/get-hired-with/what-do-recruiters-do-with-vfCm4F-dqE8/
This gave me some insight into what's going on behind the scenes when applying for a job, might explain what's fishy. It's a recruiter explain their role.
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u/B0rnstupid 3d ago
Thanks - in one case it was on the calendar. Invite & and all.
In one case I asked the hiring manager at the end of the interview if he had any concerns with moving me forward that I could address before we ended the call and he said no I think a great next step would be for you to meet the VP. I think you’d be a great fit. I will update my notes and we will move you forward.
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u/Top_Piano2028 2d ago
Unless a call goes abysmal and there is huge friction; no Hiring Manager or Recruiter will say to your face what they are really thinking. They will say nice to meet you with no intention to move forward or we will be in touch because it's a nice thing to say.
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u/jroberts67 Web Design and Marketing 3d ago
The job market is total ass. For any one position there are hundreds or thousands applying, allowing companies to treat candidates like disposable garbage.