Why do HR professionals no longer provide updates about openings?

A lot of the time they just don’t bother.

It has been like this for a long time, it even happens at high levels, but it is a little better the higher up. At lower levels they rarely get back to people who were not offered a job.

My husband is a VP in HR and it frustrates him also when he is interviewing for a job. Some companies will reply to a direct question about whether a job had been filled, but it is hit or miss. My husband usually works through a headhunter, and they also drop communication like a hot potato if the company decides not to do an interview, or if interviews happen, but ihere isn’t going be an offer.

It is a combination of time is money and laziness and probably some avoidance for some people who don’t want to have a conversation with the candidate about it. They are focused on hiring not telling people who didn’t make the cut that they didn’t make the cut.

If an offer is out to someone else, but the person has not accepted yet, they might stall about responding to you. If you were a second choice, they would rather not let you know if they wind up offering you the job.

Many such decisions are related to avoiding run ins with employment law. If a company admits a position is still open, then anyone who applied can sue for not being hired.

I was shocked yesterday to receive an email from an actual human, HR person thanking me for my application (but no thank you).

Of the 63 jobs I’ve applied for in the past year, I either get no response at all or an automated form letter.