Re: [tlug] Ghosted?

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 17:05, Stephen J. Turnbull <steve@example.com> wrote:

> James Tobin writes:
> 
> > Hi, have you ever heard of a recruitment firm going so far as to
> > pursue legal action against an employer for failing to provide
> > feedback or progress a candidate's application?
> 
> Legal action? In Japan? Surely you jest, [...]
> 
> frustration, but this is pretty common behavior world-wide, and I've
> never heard of it being penalized by society (unless it continues
> after an employment contract is signed). Employers hold the whip
> hand during the job matching process.

This doesn't help anyone in Japan, but in Sweden, employers are required to provide a candidate with a reason for rejection *and* detailed feedback. The burden of proof is on the employer to demonstrate that they did not discriminate against a candidate in any legally protected group.

Candidates can go further and exercise their rights under the GDPR to *all* documentation related to their application process, including not only feedback entered into any HR system used for recruiting, but also raw notes written by interviewers. This actually applies to anyone applying to a European company.

Cheers,
Josh