You set up an interview with a job candidate, and that person never shows.
You offer an interviewee a position, and the person accepts the offer but doesn’t come to work on the first day.
An employee just disappears without explanation.
What’s this about? You have been ghosted. It’s a trend in business in which employees hold all the power as unemployment remains at a 50-year low of below 4% (paywall).
USA Today reports that 20% to 50% of applicants and employees blow employers off in some way. Today, employees and recruits have many more options than they have had in years, and often, they don’t respond or show up when they have applied for jobs, scheduled interviews or accepted positions. Sometimes employees just “go missing” without giving notice.
Where did this phenomenon come from? Well, it started with employers. Back during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, businesses were flooded with job applicants, so they ignored most. With piles of résumés to consider, they only responded to the applicants they wanted to interview. Often, they didn’t communicate with candidates after the interview, leaving them to wonder about their status.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. According to a survey by Clutch, a Washington-based research firm, 71% of workers say they have ghosted at some point during the application process, and 55% say they have abandoned one to five applications during a job search. And ghosting isn’t just happening for low-level jobs. Even higher-level professionals are engaging in the practice.
Many job seekers don’t want to have uncomfortable conversations with employers, so they just vanish, hoping they will “take the hint” and leave them alone. Some candidates, often younger ones, have never been properly schooled in the expected etiquette norms of job searches and just aren’t aware of how rude ghosting is. The increasing use of digital communication rather than in-person or telephone applications has made ghosting easier and less personal.
There is relatively little the employer can do when they are ghosted, besides noting the occurrence and vowing never to engage with the candidate or employee again. Therefore, candidates believe there is no penalty.
What is the answer to ghosting?
There is no way to prevent some people from ghosting you, but there are practices you can put in place to reduce it. Here are some tips for improving your culture so that you increase the odds that candidates and employees will treat you with courtesy:
• Don’t ghost! You are sending a message that ghosting is appropriate if your company engages in it. Let applicants know that you have received their application and will communicate with them regarding the job's status throughout the process. Once the position has been filled by a candidate, notify all interviewees.
• Check out the reputation of candidates by scouring online sites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor for signs that an applicant has ghosted other companies.
• Reduce the time between interview and offer. If the process goes on too long, candidates will think you have hired someone else, and their enthusiasm for the position will wane.
• Circle back with candidates after an interview to ask them if they have questions or concerns. This lets them know that you are active in the process and that you expect a response.
• Engage multiple leaders in the company to call (not email) the candidate after an offer has been made to welcome them on board.
• Give candidates who have been offered positions a deadline to sign on, and ask them to send you an email if they decide not to accept.
• The Society for Human Resources Management (paywall) reports that up to 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days, often because of poor onboarding. To increase the odds that a new recruit will stay with your company, you must have a structured and effective onboarding plan. A good program is not a one-time event—it is a continuous learning experience. Nurture your new employees closely during their transition, which lasts up to a year, and make sure they have the information they need to perform confidently.
• Provide ongoing training to keep employees engaged. According to an IBM study, employees are 12 times more likely to quit when they perceive that they can't achieve their career goals at their current organization. Replacing employees is much more expensive than training, which provides employees with opportunities for development and increases loyalty.
Ghosting is a practice that has become more than a nuisance for employers—it costs staff time and resources. You may not be able to eliminate it, but your workplace culture can greatly reduce it by examining your practices around recruitment and onboarding so that it can be managed.
