‘The job market is absolutely cooked’: Employee overhears HR complaining after rejecting 50+ applicants for not being “special,” while expecting entry-level unicorns and ghosting actually qualified people

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Etai Eshet • Editor
Nov 21, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Sometimes, workplace coffee runs reveal a lot more nonsense than the average assignment. The HR office serves up its own flavor of delusion this time, complaining loudly that all fifty-plus job applicants for an open position just aren't "special" enough. Never mind the mountain of experience required for an entry-level posting or the six-week wait for a rejection email. No unicorns, no progress, try again next cycle.

The list of demands reads like a dating profile with way too many filters: must have five years of experience, the ability to juggle flaming swords, and a sparkling personality ready to work for pocket lint. Real applicants don't get feedback. They get ghosted, left waiting on a decision that probably came and went in less time than it takes HR to refill their mug.

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  • Overheard HR bit#$ng about how an entire applicant pool "isn't special" so they have to start over.

    Frustrated woman at her desk in a modern office, raising her hands in exasperation while looking at her computer, surrounded by paperwork that look like resumes and sticky notes
    via Roman Samborskyi

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Was getting coffee near the HR office today and heard them complaining about having to repost a position.
    via RawRie575
  • Apparently none of the 50+ applicants were "special" enough. These are the same people who require 5 years experience for entry level jobs and take weeks to send rejections.
    via RawRie575
  • The job market is absolutely cooked. They want unicorns but pay like we're disposable. Meanwhile actual qualified people are getting ghosted because Karen from HR decided nobody impressed her in the 6 seconds she spent on each resume.
    via RawRie575
  • Guess I'll just add "special" to my list of skills between "rockstar" and "ninja."
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  • Opinionsare HR understands how to stay busy: always keep an open position. Slow walk hiring until you can fire someone..
    via RawRie575
  • Frustrated woman leaning forward at her desk in a modern office, raising her hands in exasperation while looking at her computer, surrounded by paperwork and colorful sticky notes.
    via Roman Samborskyi

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • OP RawRie575 Yep, job security 101. Keep the position "open" for months, complain about talent shortages, justify your own existence. Then when they finally hire someone they lowball the salary because "we've been looking so long we can't pay more." Whole system's a scam.
    via RawRie575
  • WomanInQuestion "And my special ninja rockstar skills will come in handy during those tough contract negotiations!"
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  • OP RawRie575 Right? And don't forget to sprinkle in some "synergy" while you're at it. They've made applying for jobs feel like a parody of itself at this point.
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  • Daghenna Time to dust off my wizard certification for resumes
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  • OP RawRie575 At this point they probably want you to list "time traveler" so you have experience with software that doesn't exist yet
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  • Confused woman in a modern office reviewing financial charts and paperwork at her desk, looking stressed while analyzing documents and computer data.
    via Roman Samborskyi

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • N-427 Todd, From Accounting Creature - Special Human Rockstar Ninja
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  • OP RawRie575 Imao perfect
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  • Punchable_Hair And I thought employers were insufferable back when employees had the leverage...
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  • OP RawRie575 Now they act like they're doing us a favor while demanding everything and offering scraps. The power dynamic flipped but somehow candidates are still getting the worst of both worlds.
    via RawRie575
  • Mammoth_Elk_3807 You should read what's the "bare minimum" in my field
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  • OP RawRie575 Tell me
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  • Haywoodjabalowme A huge part of the problem is that a lot of the jobs people apply to aren't even real openings. Companies keep posting roles even when they aren't hiring, just to make themselves look active as a brand and to stockpile resumes for "future needs." What's tragic and a little funny is that they treat job seekers like they're the customer instead of the other way around. Because of that, it's worth tracking openings directly on a company's own careers page instead of relying only on
    via RawRie575
  • Environmental_Bug510 When I was 20 I had to work in special needs home. I shit you not when I say that the team leader was criticizing me for sitting down when there was nothing to do while another entry level colleague was standing around which according to her looked more active. Looks are all they care about.
    via RawRie575
  • Marvel_plant That 3-5 year experience requirement for entry level roles is 100% about excluding candidates who didn't come from privileged backgrounds. I don't know about y'all but I did not have the luxury of working 5 years worth of unpaid internships while I was in school. I had bills to pay.
    via RawRie575
  • Mzimmerman01 I get the feeling that HR might even skip over special people if they are not desperate. Like if you make 100k, and the job pay range is 90k-110k, they will wait until they find a special person willing to take 90k and complain until that happens.
    via RawRie575

  • What gets the spotlight isn’t even mediocrity. It is the myth of the “special” candidate who will swoop in and somehow justify every convoluted hiring policy. Karen from HR is busy scrolling through resumes and discarding them after a handful of seconds, all in the pursuit of the next “rockstar” or “ninja” team member.

  • The job market is a playground for buzzwords and wishful thinking. It’s no wonder “special” feels like a skill worth listing alongside all the other overdone corporate nonsense. Anyone still waiting for a callback might as well start their own legend, after all, that’s more likely to get noticed than actual qualifications.

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management workplace discussion employment issues boss workplace-stories hr manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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