Episode
What Hiring Lost
(and How We Get It Back)
with Mark Lane, Host of Ghosted by the Machine
Somewhere along the way, hiring stopped being about people. Speed, volume, and process took over — and the relationships, the judgment, and the humanity got squeezed out.
Mark Lane, communication strategist and host of “Ghosted by the Machine,” joins Des and Ashley to look honestly at what the hiring process has lost — from the candidate side. What it's like to do everything right and still hear nothing. What the ageism problem actually looks like. And what the bare minimum of decency actually requires.
Listen to the episode
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Episode Transcript
Full conversation — searchable and screen-reader friendly
Desiree: Today we are joined by Mark Lane, a communication strategist and host of “Ghosted by the Machine.” We're getting into a conversation that feels very real right now: what happens when hiring becomes more automated, more opaque, and more disconnected from the actual humans trying to get through it? Mark, tell me why you started Ghosted by the Machine.
Mark Lane: I didn't set out to do a podcast. I lost my job last March and as I was going through the process — I've never really been without a job in over 20-some years of my career — I started writing little journey blogs on LinkedIn. Hey, this is where I'm at. Or I played a gig this weekend and this Journey song came on and reminded me of everyone's journey in a job search. I just wanted to understand what the hell is going on with the hiring process. Someone reached out and said, hey, I love how you write — have you ever thought of doing a podcast? I've produced podcasts for clients, so I said, what the heck, let's try it. Now I get inundated with messages from people all over the country saying, we love what you're doing, can I tell my story? And the reality is, 70 to 75% of resumes aren't even seen by a human. I think I've touched on something.
Ashley: It's not until people in our sphere have to actually go through the environment they create that they understand. We are the consumer and creator of this market. The treatment of candidates, the standards we allow, how this works — we built this. And when something happens and people end up on the market, very quickly they learn about themselves, their habits, the impact those had on others, and what they need to do differently.