The Brian Lehrer Show

Employers, Stop Ghosting Me!

Dec 15, 2025
Franklin Schneider, a New York City-based writer and author of 'Canned,' delves into the rudeness of the modern job market. He highlights the relief that comes with form rejections versus the sting of being ghosted. Age discrimination is unpacked through listener stories, and Schneider explains how the pandemic shifted power dynamics for job seekers. Gen Z faces unique ghosting challenges, and he argues technology has stripped the hiring process of empathy. Ultimately, he suggests that exposing these power imbalances could lead to positive change.
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ANECDOTE

Relief From A Form Rejection

  • Franklin Schneider felt relieved to receive a form rejection after applying to hundreds of jobs.
  • He compared himself to an abused dog grateful for any notice, showing how demoralizing silence can be.
INSIGHT

Ghosting Reflects Power Imbalance

  • Employer ghosting and applicant ghosting are not equivalent because power is asymmetric.
  • Franklin explains workers suffer far greater harm when employers disappear than vice versa.
ANECDOTE

Accepting Multiple Offers As Insurance

  • A woman accepted multiple job offers as layered security after repeated employer ghosting.
  • Her plan was to take the first job that actually started and ghost the others to avoid being left without work.
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