Basic Manners

Being an HR consultant, more so into recruitment,it is really infuriating to be in a situation where an offer is made to a candidate ; he accepts it and then stops communication altogether. To add insult to injury,he even stops picking up calls made to him,does not respond to mails ... nothing.

Mind you,I am not really concerned if the candidate does not accept the offer - I am worried about the disinclination to communicate his decision.

I am really at a loss to understand this behaviour.What makes somebody not respond? Doesn't he/she understand that the world is quite small and that such an unprofessional conduct will not be forgotten and that it is quite possible that he/she will have to interact with the same set of people in times to come?


In most cases it is simply the inability to say NO that makes these candidates take the easy way out. They might have been retained by the existing organisation , or might have had other offers that are better.By not responding, the candidates are "wishing the situation away "; A "putting the head under the sand" attitude. It actually results in a negative impact with all the other parties involved - The recruiter, The company HR, The Senior Officials in the company- feeling that the time they invested has been wasted.

Is this something that happens only in India? If so it could be an anomaly in the genetic wiring.But if it is a global phenomenon,we are doomed.

May be these folks need to be sent to etiquette classes.