A recent incident involving a hiring process has sparked concerns about professionalism and communication in recruitment. A job seeker applied for a position at am agency, only to be left stunned by a series of dismissive interactions after missing a call. What followed was a rejection email sent mere minutes after the missed call, accompanied by a text message from the hiring manager that many described as unprofessional.
According to his Reddit post, the applicant received a phone call from an unknown number, which he did not answer. The agency did not leave a voicemail, and within moments, the same number sent a text message saying, “I guess you are not interested in [position].” Just two minutes later, an email followed notifying him that he had been rejected from the position.
The candidate attempted to reach the hiring manager by calling back and emailing, but received no response. He shared the experience on Reddit, where the post quickly drew widespread attention and criticism. Users described the handling of the situation as “crazy unprofessional.”
The online community voiced strong support for the applicant while criticizing the agency’s communication practices. One commenter remarked, “It’s insanity because some people can’t even have their phone at work. Or in a meeting. So you can’t be unemployed but you can’t be too employed either.”
Another user expressed frustration with hiring expectations, saying, “Right?? I was working retail while job hunting, and sometimes employers would call while I was on the sales floor and I wasn’t able to answer. Sorry I was trying to follow the rules and do my job properly!”
Several users questioned the professionalism of immediately rejecting a candidate simply for not answering a call. “She acted like it was a personal attack that you didn’t pick up her phone… It’s incredibly unreasonable and unprofessional,” one comment stated.
Calls for Accountability and Transparency
Some Reddit users urged the applicant to escalate the issue to higher authorities. “Send a highly professional but disappointed email to all people involved… Cc the hiring manager, their governor, and any state legislators you can find for your area,” one user advised.
Others pointed out that the hiring process may have been compromised from the beginning. “All I can think is maybe they have someone specific they want to hire so are looking for excuses to reject everyone else,” a commenter suggested.
Echoing this sentiment, another user added, “It’s also a terrible reason for rejecting someone from a job… It makes me wonder if the hiring manager is trying to eliminate qualified individuals so a certain applicant stands out as ‘the best’.”
Frustration With Modern Hiring Practices
The incident also opened up broader conversations around phone etiquette in hiring. Many users emphasized the reality of spam and scam calls in today’s communication culture. “In this day and age expecting someone to answer a call if they don’t know the number is stupid,” one commenter said, while another pointed out, “My phone automatically screens calls from unknown numbers… I don’t even get a notification.”
Others recalled similar experiences, including receiving rejection emails without ever being contacted. “I just got an email saying they couldn’t contact me… but I received ZERO emails, texts, and phone calls from you,” one user shared.
Given the public nature of the agency involved, many commenters suggested the candidate consider formal complaints. One user said, “If this was a public sector job, there might be a mechanism to appeal the rejection.” Another recommended bringing the issue to the attention of state representatives, emphasizing that such conduct could damage public trust in government hiring practices.
The original poster later confirmed that they had taken steps to escalate the issue, stating, “I did this. Thank you.”