Why Is It So Hard to Get Hired in 2026? Job Search Reality with Tank Rhodes, Part 1

Hiring has always been complicated, but for many professionals, the process feels especially difficult to understand right now. Candidates are navigating long hiring processes, inconsistent communication, changing expectations, conflicting advice, and technology that isn't always well understood.

In this episode, Julia Toothacre is joined again by Francis "Tank" Rhodes, a human resources professional who is also experiencing the hiring process from the candidate side. Tank shares an update on his own job search, and the conversation uses his experience to explore some of the larger issues affecting candidates and employers today.

Julia and Tank discuss candidate ghosting, what professionalism should look like on both sides of the hiring process, how expectations have changed across generations, and why some of the frustration directed at Gen Z deserves more context. They also examine the disconnect between what companies say they value and what candidates actually experience during the hiring process.

The conversation then turns to some of the common assumptions people make about hiring, beginning with one of the biggest: "My resume was probably rejected by the ATS." Tank explains what an applicant tracking system actually does, where automated decisions can happen, and why the hiring process is often more nuanced than the advice circulating online suggests.

In this episode:

• What Tank's ongoing job search has taught him about hiring from the candidate side

• Why candidate experience and communication continue to be a problem

• Ghosting and the responsibility employers have to close the loop

• Professionalism, authenticity, and changing workplace expectations

• The criticism of Gen Z and what employers may be overlooking

• Why individual experiences and broader hiring data don't always tell the same story

• What an ATS actually does with an application

• Where knockout questions and other automated decisions can affect a candidate

• Why "the ATS rejected my resume" usually doesn't tell the whole story

This is Part 1 of Julia's conversation with Tank. In Part 2, they continue breaking down common assumptions about hiring, including whether companies actually know who they're looking for, whether the most qualified candidate gets the job, how much networking matters, and what's really happening with ghost jobs.

Unemployed for over 800 days: Why you may be overlooked for jobs

https://ridethetidecollective.com/2025/07/16/season11episode10/

Huntr's research examines major applicant tracking systems, knockout questions, AI functionality, ATS scoring, resume screening, and recruiter workflows.

https://huntr.co/blog/how-applicant-tracking-systems-work

https://www.tiktok.com/@hrsagentofchaos

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhodes19/

Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/08/18/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-hired-2026/

Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/

Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/

Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com

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