Definitely dropped the ball. It may seem like a small thing to that recruiter, but this can affect their reputation among talent pool. It happened to me with Microsoft back in the 90s (I was young, in my 20s). I spent a lot of time preparing an application package and solid interviews but then they just went silent. Never heard back. Calls were not returned.
Fast forward to the 2000s (some more years under my belt) Microsoft was actively trying to hire me. But the book was closed on ever working there. I let them know why politely and took a position elsewhere.
Its just lazy to not update candidates. And if the individual HR person cannot, an automated message would be better than nothing. This is just common decency, not rocket science.
I'll second this. When the recruiters drop the ball like this, I discount the entire company. It's probably unfair, especially for a big company, but it's natural.
Fast forward to the 2000s (some more years under my belt) Microsoft was actively trying to hire me. But the book was closed on ever working there. I let them know why politely and took a position elsewhere.
Its just lazy to not update candidates. And if the individual HR person cannot, an automated message would be better than nothing. This is just common decency, not rocket science.