Common Courtesy in Recruiting: Let’s Raise the Bar Off the Floor
It’s a shocking turn of events when government has to legislate common courtesy. This is how broken the hiring machine has become.
As of January 2026, companies in Ontario, Canada can no longer ghost candidates without risking massive fines. The US is moving fast to follow suit, with "Ghost Job" and hiring timeline regulations already passing the New York Senate and pending in states like California and New Jersey.
Let’s call this what it is: an indictment of traditional corporate cowardice. Lawmakers are literally stepping in to force companies to stop hiding behind smoke and mirrors and start acting like professionals. If you think the government is overreaching, look at the data.
Recent industry benchmarks reveal that 53% of job seekers were ghosted by an employer within the past year alone - a multi-year peak. Worse, 61% of candidates report being ghosted after sitting through a formal interview.
Here is the exact list of bad behavior the government is trying to outlaw:
· Ghosting candidates – If you apply to a job, you deserve the courtesy of a response.
· Ghost jobs – Posting fake roles just to build a "bank" of resumes or look like you're growing when you aren't hiring.
· Lack of pay transparency – Pay should be listed in the job posting, and the offer should match that range.
· Unreasonable pay ranges – In trying to get around pay transparency, companies should not be posting pay ranges like $45k-$150k annually.
· Invisible timelines – Companies should include their timeline for decision making about the role.
· Use of AI – Companies should be upfront about the use of AI interviewing or applicant tracking system usage.
If you run a business and you see yourself here, the radical truth is that you are damaging your own brand. When you resort to smoke and mirrors, you don’t look “busy” – you look rude. And top talent notices.
A structured, successful recruiting strategy doesn't need to hide. You will get significantly better ROI, better talent, and a stronger culture through radical transparency.
For candidates, this is demoralizing and debilitating. There are countless stories of people sending out 100+ resumes and not hearing back about any of them. (Pro-tip for candidates, check out our post about decoding job postings to help you avoid this.)
Legally mandated politeness is an incredibly low bar for a business. You shouldn't need a regulator to tell you how to treat people.
If you’re a business leader ready to ditch the theater and architect a high-integrity, high-impact recruiting engine, let's talk.
If you’re a high-performer struggling to turn applications into actual offers, we’re here to help you navigate the chaos.
