The Ghosting Trend: Are Job Candidates Just Not That Into You?
It’s an unfortunate trend that has made its way from the dating world to the workplace. Ghosting, the art of disappearing without a word, has become the daily frustration of many human resource managers across industries. Even in a pandemic-impacted job market and an economic downturn, ghosting has become an all-too-common practice among job seekers.
For high school and college seniors about to enter the workforce, certain norms and best practices of applying, interviewing and negotiating for jobs are taught and ingrained. Many are counseled on how to build an impactful resume, dress to impress for an interview, articulate responses to the most common interview questions and craft a professional and polite thank-you note following an interview.
According to a February 2021 report by Indeed, 28% of job applicants had ghosted a prospective employer over the past year. That’s up from 18% in 2019, despite a global pandemic wreaking havoc on the job market and creating a shortlist of employment options. The numbers are even more startling from the employer side, with 76% reporting they’ve been ghosted in the past year and 57% saying it’s more common than ever before.
The level of ghosting is broad, with employers reporting that some candidates simply disappear from the process after an initial screening call or first interview. Despite the simplicity of an email to express a lack of interest but appreciation for their time, candidates choose the path of silence. However, others are taking the trend to a whole new level, with 46% of job candidates not showing up for a scheduled interview and 7% failing to appear for their first day after successfully landing a job.
So how have we gone from that polite thank-you note to not even showing up? According to Indeed’s report, the reasons for ghosting among job seekers varies, with 20% saying they received a better job offer in the meantime, 13% dissatisfied with the salary offered and 15% indicating they decided the job wasn’t the right fit for them.
Hiring Strategies To Minimize Candidate Ghosting
Many candidates likely assume that ghosting a potential employer won’t catch up to them and there will be no consequences for the unprofessional action. However, employers are taking names — literally. With the increasing rise in ghosting, many employers are tightening up their processes to protect themselves from the significant time lost on these candidates.
In addition to tracking the culprits and ensuring they don’t make it to even a screening call next time, employers can set their sights on improved communication throughout the hiring process. The theory is that keeping a candidate informed of where they are in the hiring process, and perhaps even discussing salary earlier than they typically would, will keep prospects engaged.
We see this all the time at FactoryFix.com, the online talent marketplace I’m the founder of. Hiring managers hold the cards too close to their chest. I suggest complete transparency from the start. In fact, pay and salary rates should ideally be on the initial job posting. We’ve seen jobs that do not post a salary or pay rate receive only about half the applicants compared to jobs that do.
Even if your job posting doesn’t include salary information, the best time to discuss salary is before the interview takes place. This needs to be handled in the prescreening process to ensure both parties are on the same page. The negotiation process will still occur, but the more upfront a hiring manager is, the more confident and comfortable the candidate can be as they explore new opportunities.
Hiring managers must also put more effort into being attentive: responding to candidates’ resume follow-ups, returning voicemails and doing their part to make sure candidates understand they’re still being considered.
Follow up with candidates even if they’re not a fit for you now. You never know when a role may come up, and keeping them warm and engaged is better than cold and in the dark. If you can tell from the start that a candidate isn’t a fit, let them down early and upfront, and ask if you can hold their application for a future position if they are open to it. This is a great way to keep a pipeline of skilled workers filled while becoming known as a transparent and thoughtful place to work. An ideal time frame for this type of communication is about a week. Giving these candidates a heads-up early will save them and you time in the long run.
Another effective route to combat ghosting is by leveraging an online talent marketplace that vets each candidate in its system and equips the employer with messaging and confirmation tools to reduce the number of interview no-shows. My company’s platform is focused on the manufacturing niche, and there are platforms out there for nearly every industry. These tech-driven marketplaces can match job candidates with employers to make the hiring process efficient and seamless.
Unfortunately, ghosting is a trend that is likely to stick around. Long gone are the days of anonymously calling a landline that a job candidate would unknowingly pick up. They now have the luxury of seeing who’s calling and who sent the email that just landed in their inbox — and the option to ignore it. Employers need to step into the 21st century and leverage new tools, whether that means email funnels to keep candidates engaged or partnering with resources to help fill their staffing voids.
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