My recent hiring experience with Metlife left me with some serious questions about candidate respect in today's recruitment landscape. I went through a thorough, multi-stage process for a senior role — an initial screening with the HR Director, a strategic discussion with the Group Chief Data Officer, and a final technical competency and fitment assessment with the Regional CIO. I was formally informed that I had made the final shortlist. The next step, I was told, was a discussion with stakeholders in Malaysia, given the role's location. That conversation never happened. What followed instead was complete silence — no updates, no acknowledgment, despite multiple follow-ups. I later discovered that the role was reposted in India and filled within 17 hours. I have no issue with business decisions or changing priorities — those are a reality in any organisation. What I do take issue with is the complete absence of communication to a shortlisted candidate who invested significant time and effort across multiple rounds. Candidates are not just applicants — they are professionals who deserve basic courtesy and closure, regardless of how a hiring decision unfolds. To hiring managers and HR leaders: the way you treat candidates who don't make the cut speaks just as loudly as how you treat those who do. Ghosting shortlisted candidates is not a neutral act — it has a real impact on your employer brand.