You Aren't Being Ghosted. You Are Being "Terminated."
I saw the thread on Reddit this morning. A candidate applied for a job. He didn't get it. Standard stuff. But when he logged back into the portal to apply for a different role, he saw his status for the previous job: "Status: Terminated / Not Retained."
He was never hired. He never worked a day. But in the company's database, he is listed as a "Fired Employee." Because of this "glitch," the system automatically auto-rejects his new applications. The algorithm thinks: "Why would we re-hire a guy we fired?"
This is the 'ATS Blacklist' Glitch. In late 2025, recruiters are overwhelmed. They are processing 500 resumes a day using AI tools. When they reject you, they select a code from a dropdown menu.
- Option A: "Reject - Not Qualified"
- Option B: "Terminated" (For firing employees)
These buttons are often right next to each other in the UI. If the recruiter misclicks (or if the AI hallucinates), you are digitally branded as "Fired."
Here is why this is dangerous and how to check if you are a victim.
1. The "Shared Database" Nightmare
You might think: "Who cares? I just won't apply to that one company." Wrong. In 2025, many enterprise companies use "Shared Talent Intelligence" clouds (like Eightfold or Beamery). They anonymize and share candidate data to "predict hiring success."
If Company A marks you as "Terminated for Cause" (the code for stealing/harassment), that data point might feed into the wider risk score associated with your profile hash. Suddenly, your resume score drops at Company B, C, and D. You are being blacklisted by an algorithm that thinks you are a rogue employee, when you were just a rejected candidate.
2. The "Internal" Block
Even if the data isn't shared, you are banned from that company forever. Large tech companies (Amazon, Google, JPMorgan) have thousands of open roles. If you are marked "Not Retained" in one division, the ATS blocks you from all divisions globally. You aren't just rejected for the Java role; you are rejected for the Python role, the Manager role, and the Janitor role. You are in the "Do Not Rehire" bucket.
3. The Legal Angle: "Data Libel"
This is where the CPC gets high. Falsely recording someone as "Fired" in a professional database is arguably Defamation (Libel). It damages your economic prospects. Lawyers are already circling this Reddit thread. If you can prove that a clerical error prevented you from getting a job, you have a case for damages. GDPR / CCPA Rights: You have the legal right to request your data. You can force them to show you exactly what code they used to reject you.
The Fix: How to Audit Your "Digital Record"
If you are getting instant rejections (within minutes) from a company you interviewed with previously, do this:
- Log in to the Candidate Portal: Go to the "My Applications" tab.
- Check the Status Code: Look for words like "Terminated," "Involuntary Separation," or "Not Retained."
- The "Data Subject Access Request" (DSAR):
- Send an email to
privacy@[company].com. - Subject: "California CCPA Access Request" (or GDPR if in Europe).
- Body: "I am requesting a full download of my candidate profile, including all status codes and recruiter notes."
- They must legally respond within 45 days.
- Send an email to
If you see "Terminated" in that file? Do not email the recruiter. Email the General Counsel. Subject: "Correction of False Employment Record - Potential Litigation." They will fix it in 24 hours.
Leon Staffing manually reviews every rejection. We don't let robots ruin careers. If you want a human to look at your resume, apply here.