The People You Meet in the Hiring Process, Ranked

Hiring is a trip. Whether you’re a recruiter, a hiring manager, or a job seeker clinging to hope and caffeine, you’ve probably run into at least a few of these characters. Some move the process forward. Others just waste your time and your will to live.

Let’s rank them—from "please stop" to "hire them forever."

10. The Ghoster

The recruiter who hypes you up, books the first call… and then vanishes. Or the candidate who’s so enthusiastic—until they land something else and disappear like a ghost with a competing offer. Let me tell you: I once had a recruiter reach out and conduct the first-round interview—good vibes, solid convo, all signs pointing green. Then? Radio silence. Weeks later, she popped back in saying she “got caught up.” Fine. I’m a nice person. I let it go. She asked for my availability again…And then ghosted. AGAIN.

9. The Over-Promiser

"This role is basically co-founder level." "You’ll be managing a team in six months." "Our culture is just like family." Translation: No budget, no structure, and everyone is burnt out but pretending they’re fine on Slack.

8. The Interview Panel That’s Never Met Before

Five people. Zero alignment. One’s asking about your leadership style. One’s grilling you on Python. One just opened your resume mid-call. The chaos? Palpable. The vibe? Disjointed LinkedIn meet-and-greet. I once interviewed for an in-house role at a university. There were eight people on the Zoom panel (yes, eight). You could tell they were all messaging each other behind the scenes—trying to figure out who was supposed to ask what. Either that, or they were talking about me in real-time. Both options? Not ideal. It felt less like a structured interview and more like a group project that no one prepared for.

7. The Hiring Manager Who’s “Just Seeing What’s Out There”

No job description. No hiring timeline. No urgency. You go through multiple interviews, only to find out… they're not actually hiring. They’re “exploring.” I promise a therapist is cheaper than a pretend job search.

6. The Vague Recruiter

“The comp range is still being finalized.”  “The team is super collaborative.”  “The hiring process is really straightforward.” Spoiler: It’s not. And neither are they.

5. The Case Study Enthusiast

Apply for a mid-level role. Suddenly you’re making a full deck, presenting to a panel, and answering follow-ups like you’re pitching to investors. At what point is this just unpaid consulting?

4. The Hiring Manager Who Actually Knows What They Want

They understand the role. They ask relevant questions. They provide updates. They move fast. It shouldn’t be rare—but it is. Protect them at all costs.

3. The Transparent Recruiter

No games. Just clarity. They share the comp, the steps, the expectations. And they actually follow up (even with bad news). A breath of fresh air in a ghost town.

2. The Interviewer Who Actually Read Your Resume

Not only did they read it—they came prepared with thoughtful questions. They connected dots. Asked smart follow-ups. You actually had a conversation instead of delivering a TED Talk to someone scrolling LinkedIn.

1. The Real One™

They want to make a great hire and make sure the process doesn’t break you. They advocate for candidates. Give real feedback. Keep things fair and human. If you meet one, send them flowers. Or at least a thank-you note.

🎯 Real Tips for Surviving the Hiring Process (Because LOL Isn’t a Strategy)

Whether you’re the one hiring or trying to get hired, here are a few ways to protect your peace (and your calendar):

If you're a candidate:

• Track your process. Keep a simple spreadsheet or doc with who you spoke to, what was said, and when to follow up. Ghosting hurts less when you have receipts.

• Protect your time. If a process starts feeling endless or unpaid “assignments” are piling up, ask directly about next steps and expectations.

• Save your wins. Keep a private brag doc. Save interview prep. You never know when you’ll need to re-use it.

• Don’t take silence personally. Rejection ≠ reflection of your worth. Sometimes people just don’t know how to run a process (or their boss pulled the role).

If you're a recruiter:

• Be upfront. Clarity around salary, timeline, and expectations goes a long way. Candidates will thank you for it.

• Don’t overpromise. We all want to make the role sound exciting, but if it’s “basically co-founder” and pays $65K… let’s not.

• Update people. Even if it’s a no, say something. Nothing ruins a brand faster than a candidate telling their story on LinkedIn.

If you're a hiring manager:

• Know what you're hiring for. No JD? No business interviewing.

• Align your panel. A 30-minute sync to align questions saves you from a “who’s this person again?” moment in the actual interview.

• Give feedback. You don’t need to write a novel. One helpful note can help someone improve and leave a good impression of your company.
  

Hiring can be chaotic, but the right people (and a little clarity) make it better —📩 so stick around, hang out, and let’s make work suck less.