The Blacklist: Have You Been Blacklisted by Recruiters? Find Out!

You probably don’t want to hear this, but I will tell you anyway. Recruiters usually have a blacklist for candidates they will never recommend to a client. Not because you are not qualified for the roles, but because you did something that wasn’t very nice.

This recruiters’ blacklist can either be official or unofficial. Recruiters may have an actual document or database with a list of suspicious candidates or just a mental list of candidates to recommend. But the bottom line is, there are candidates who are uniquely known to recruiters and fall under the “Do not recommend” categories. 

And these candidates have two things in common; they did something wrong, or recruiters fear they will do something wrong.

So, when do you get blacklisted by recruiters? Before I tell you the various reasons candidates get blacklisted, let’s talk about why there exists a blacklist in the first place.

Why a Recruiter’s Blacklist Exists

The main function of a recruiter is to find suitable candidates for a certain role and ensure they are a great match. To effectively do this, recruiters need to sift through numerous applications, shortlist the best CVs for the interview, and recommend suitable candidates to hiring managers and employers.

If a recommended candidate disappoints in one way or the other, the recruiter’s credibility and reputation are tarnished. The employer may also decide to take their business elsewhere as they no longer have trust in the recruiter. The result? An angry recruiter who just lost a client because of the wrong choice of candidate.

This is where the blacklist comes in. In order to avoid losing important clients and credibility, recruiters must ensure their candidates are the real deal. So if they find you are a bit sketchy or your character is wanting, they push you over to the blacklist and share it with other recruiters. That way, no recruiter will not fall prey when trying to fill a position.

Is this unfair? I would say no. But this is not about me so be the judge. Here are reasons you might be blacklisted by recruiters.

Reasons You Could Be in a Recruiter’s Blacklist

1. You Have a Bad Attitude

I started with this one because it plays a big role. No employer wants to work with someone who has a bad attitude. So when a recruiter calls you for an interview and finds that your attitude is wanting, they will put a big X on your CV and you will not get the job.

Some will even write “bad attitude” against your CV, and if the firm has a database of candidates, a red flag may be added to your profile. This will then make it harder for you to get jobs.

2. You Have a Bad Reputation

Recruiters conduct a reference check on every candidate before they can make their final decision on your suitability. You may have the best credentials, outperform other candidates during the interview and have the best dialect on land. But if your reference checks come back negative, recruiters may push your CV a few rows down.

Remember recruiters prefer hearing about candidates from a former boss, former colleague or someone you have directly worked with. If these people don’t have anything good to say, it might be a big red flag.

3. You Lied or Exaggerated about Your Qualifications

Most recruiters are very forgiving. You may lack a certain requirement but they’ll still do their best to convince the employer to hire you. This is, of course, if you are honest about who you are.

That’s why a recruiter finds it hard to forgive a candidate who has lied about their qualifications. You might think they won’t know and that you’ll get away with it. But the interview reveals a lot of hidden information. A lie will always get you blacklisted.

4. You Never Showed Up for the Interview and Didn’t Say Why

There are several reasons why you might not make it to an interview. But courtesy and professionalism demand that you let the person involved know that you won’t be able to make it. Staying quiet, ignoring calls and ultimately not showing up for an interview makes you unreliable and untrustworthy.

And guess what? The next time you try to apply for a job through the same company, your application will be flagged off as a No, No. Why? You were blacklisted when you didn’t attend the interview.

5. You Rejected a Job Offer on Flimsy Reasons

Like not attending a job interview, rejecting a job offer over flimsy reasons works in the same way. There are certain reasons that a recruiter can understand. But if you give excuses based on not being able to give notice, changing your mind about relocating or wanting a higher salary than what is offered, recruiters may no longer like you very much.

All this information is usually given to a candidate before meeting the employer for a second interview. If you were okay then, why are you suddenly changing your mind? Recruiters don’t like shifty people and that’s how you appear when you start giving excuses.

6. You Were Unprofessional During the Interview

If you didn’t take time to prepare for the interview, didn’t dress appropriately, didn’t carry the documents you were asked to or you looked disinterested, you are considered unprofessional. And unprofessional candidates never get the second interview, despite being well qualified. They also form the majority of blacklisted candidates.

In the End

 Making it to the recruiters’ blacklist will only make it much harder for you to get interviews. Review your previous dealings with recruiters to make sure you didn’t do any of these 6 things. If you did, try to mend fences by reaching out to the recruiter with an apology. And in future, understand that it is in your best interest to be nice to recruiters and to be professional.