Is Recruitment Harming Your Brand?

Over many years, I've worked with great independent and company recruiters as both a hiring manager and a candidate.

But recruitment is also one of the most common ways a company damages its own reputation. In 2025, a single job posting puts a recruiter in touch with 100+ candidates. Every interaction, or lack of one, influences how those candidates see your company—not just as a potential employer but as a business. A frustrating recruitment experience doesn’t just deter future applicants; it can shape how people view your customer service, sales team, or overall professionalism.

So what is your recruitment team telling the market about your brand?

Tumbleweed by Luismi Sánchez on Unsplash

Massively Detailed Application Forms

Brand message: We're happy to waste your time

You see a role that looks interesting and click on the Apply button. You get taken to the longest possible form, and it duplicates all the content of the CV you just uploaded. If you're lucky, it’s done a half-decent job of interpreting your CV and filling some of the form out for you.

For many candidates, a form like this is a significant barrier. High-quality, busy professionals don’t have the patience to jump through the hoops of a poorly designed form. Pasting pieces of their CV into redundant fields? Probably not.

The Black Hole

Brand message: You're nothing to us

The role looks really interesting, so you fight your way through the form, complete it all, and press send. And then? Nothing.

No email acknowledgment. No updates. Just silence.

And then there’s the generic disclaimer: "...due to the number of applications we are receiving, you may never hear from us again."

Overly Familiar Early Communication

Brand message: We are insincere

"We would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn about your skills and accomplishments."

Yes, I really received this in an early response. I had only submitted my CV—no conversation, no engagement, no interview.

Also, any rejection email that includes the phrase "future endeavours."

Eight-Stage Interview Processes

Brand messages: We don't value your time, we can't make decisions

"We believe in a 360-degree interview process, so we'd like you to meet HR, the hiring manager, random peers, stakeholders, and individual team members." All one-on-one, for an hour each.

And they all ask you the same questions (see below).

I once had a recruiter describe an eight-stage interview process, including multiple presentations. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t proceed.

Sending the Wrong Meeting Details (or None at All)

Brand message: We're disorganised

You get a response, the recruiter sets up the interview, and you show up five minutes early, ready to shine!

Then the link doesn’t work. Maybe it’s an old one, or the interviewer is waiting elsewhere. You scramble to email someone, get a response 10–15 minutes later, join the right call—and now half your time is gone.

Arriving Late and Leaving Early

Brand message: This role isn't that important

You log in on time, but the interviewer is nowhere to be found. You sit there, staring at a "waiting for host" screen, unable to leave.

They show up 10–15 minutes late with a brief apology, rushed and distracted, only to leave early because of their "hard stop."

Being Unprepared for the Interview

Brand message: We're disorganised, and I'm not invested in this role

You start the interview only to realise the interviewer hasn’t even glanced at your CV. They skim it on the spot, ask vague questions, and clearly have no idea what they need from the role.

It’s a waste of time. A hiring team that can’t spend five minutes preparing clearly doesn’t value the candidate—or the role itself.

The Same Conversation in Every Interview

Brand message: We have no internal communication

You move through multiple interview rounds, and each time, it’s the same set of questions from different people:

• "Tell me about yourself."

• "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

• "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

No one has read the notes. No one is building on previous discussions. There’s no plan to get the most out of the process—or out of you.

Free Consulting

Brand message: We don’t respect your expertise

You're asked to prepare a 40-minute detailed presentation on how you'll solve their problems for a panel of 10 people with Q&A.

"We’d love to hear how you’d approach solving X challenge in our business. What would your strategy be?"

You walk away feeling like you've just delivered an unpaid strategy workshop. And then you never hear back.

Last-Minute Role Changes

Brand message: We don’t know what we’re doing

You get through multiple rounds, and suddenly, the cracks start to show. One person says the role reports to the VP, another says it’s in a different team. Salary expectations shift. Responsibilities change. By the time you see the contract, it barely resembles what was discussed.

Either the company wasn’t honest from the start, or they were making it up as they went along. Neither is a good sign.

Ghosting

Brand message: We don’t care about people

You’ve had interviews. You’ve put in time. You’ve followed up. And then? Silence.

Ghosting is unprofessional—whether it’s a company ignoring a candidate or a candidate vanishing on a recruiter. Just as recruiters get frustrated when applicants disappear mid-process, candidates deserve the same respect.

A short timing update or personal rejection email takes seconds to send but leaves a lasting impression. Ignoring people entirely sends a far worse message.

Rejection Without Reasoning

Brand message: We don’t do feedback

You get a rejection email. No explanation, no feedback—just a generic "we’ve gone in a different direction."

A quick note on why you weren’t the right fit can turn a negative experience into a constructive one. Even a single sentence—"We needed more experience in X" or "We decided to go with someone with prior industry experience"—helps candidates improve.

Clarity is professional courtesy, and it strengthens your company’s reputation.

What Great Recruitment Looks Like

A strong recruitment process strengthens your employer brand, attracts better candidates, and builds goodwill. Here’s how recruitment teams can make a positive impact:

• Respect candidates’ time – Keep applications simple, minimise interview stages, and communicate clearly.

• Provide timely feedback – Even a short acknowledgment and basic feedback go a long way.

• Be organised – Accurate meeting links, clear role definitions, and structured processes make a difference.

• Communicate professionally – Avoid generic or overly familiar language that feels insincere.

• Close the loop – If someone has interviewed, give them a clear yes or no.

A candidate may not join your company, but they will talk about their experience. Make sure they’re saying what you want them to.