Ghosting — a term coined to express cutting off all forms of communication with another person seemingly out of nowhere — has become an increasingly common practice among candidates and employers. While this term originated in the context of the dating world, it has creeped its way into the hiring process as well.
Whether a candidate gets spooked and simply disappears or goes as far as no-showing on the first day, ghosting not only causes confusion for those on the receiving end of the silence, but this disruption can also have far-reaching business implications that can affect project timelines or even a company’s ability to meet their set strategic priorities.
The first step to combatting this trend is understanding why it’s happening in the first place. Employers can then take proactive steps to address these challenges before they arise and hopefully mitigate ghosting tendencies with their new hires.
Communication Is Key, so Why Is Ghosting on the Rise?
Recent labor reports all show the same stats; there are a plethora of jobs available, but not enough workers willing to fill those roles. With so many available jobs, candidates are applying to numerous positions and receiving multiple offers. Many candidates, fearing a job offer may be rescinded, apply to several positions as a fallback plan. With the amount of opportunity and resulting offers, some job seekers feel more comfortable not following through with communication or ghosting an employer altogether. In some cases, candidates are going so far as accepting an offer but not showing up to their first day of work.
According to a Visier survey, 84% of employees have ghosted an employer or potential employer in the last 18 months. While standard practice was for employers to send a formal rejection and for candidates to submit a withdrawal if they choose to decline an offer, the pandemic has evidently caused a shift in communication norms.
Although virtual interviewing allows for a streamlined, accessible hiring process, it is an inherently less personable experience than in-person interviews. Additionally, with high demand and increasingly efficient application processes, which allow job seekers to apply to multiple jobs at a time, employers are interviewing more people in response to a general hiring crisis. As a result, some employers are struggling to keep up with communication lines between all applicants — especially if they’re hiring for multiple roles or are handling all elements of the hiring process in-house — perpetuating the ongoing cycle of ghosting.
What Can Employers do to be Proactive About Ghosting?
More than half (52%) of employers noted ghosting as a top challenge. Although preventing this trend altogether may seem futile, there are several ways employers and hiring managers can set a stronger foundation that minimizes ghosting from the get-go. Here are six ways employers can help stop candidates from ghosting:
1. Create Accurate Job Descriptions
Some candidates may find it frustrating to read a vague job description or, upon interviewing, find out the job description didn’t accurately reflect the responsibilities of the role. Being upfront and including an accurate description outlining the requirements of the position and what the day-to-day tasks look like will help attract job seekers whose career aspirations align, helping to ensure they’re not left feeling misled after learning more about the job.
2. Deliver Timely and Personal Responses
In the current job market where there are more open positions than there are available workers, chances are candidates are submitting multiple applications at once, meaning they are likely hearing back from several employers. To avoid the silent treatment, be sure to provide timely responses and updates to ensure you are not losing their interest or allowing another career opportunity to steal their focus. As the world becomes increasingly digitized, it’s also more important than ever to make your interactions with candidates as personal as possible, especially if your communication is strictly virtual.
3. Be Transparent About Pay
In some cases, after interviewing and finding out the actual pay range for the position, candidates may ghost if the pay is below expectations. In fact, 29% of employees listed dissatisfaction with disclosed pay as their top reason for ghosting an employer. Today, only 57% of employers list salaries and hiring manager information on job postings. To be more proactive about ghosting, it can be beneficial to be upfront about what the pay is, therefore attracting those applicants who are looking for a job within that range.
4. Offer Flexibility
With the ongoing presence of work-from-home accommodations and hybrid work models being embraced by more and more companies, job seekers are frequently looking for opportunities that allow for some flexibility in location and scheduling. Requiring workers to be in-office five days a week not only limits your hiring pool but may also cause some candidates to become uninterested — especially given the number of opportunities available that offer more flexible, remote or hybrid accommodations.
5. Emphasize Your Company’s Culture
Studies show candidates are actively seeking opportunities to work for organizations whose values align with their own and for companies that prioritize an inclusive work culture. Showcasing your organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives is a great way to highlight the causes and volunteer efforts your company is focused on, and how you’re helping to foster a more inclusive workplace. Mentioning any employee value propositions and professional development opportunities can also go a long way in helping a candidate choose your company over another.
6. Partner With the Experts
Working with a third-party partner that specializes in workforce solutions can help you address and overcome some of the pain points associated with candidate ghosting. Specifically, workforce solutions companies have access to deep networks of skilled, reliable talent, and are in a great position to help attract qualified, passionate job seekers. These experts work to establish clear channels of communication between employers and candidates, mitigating potential business disruptions as a result of ghosting. If you do not currently have the in-house teams available to support virtual hiring, a Managed Solutions partner like Aston Carter can create a customized approach to help alleviate many of the tasks associated with the hiring process, including remote applicant screening.
Given the competitive job market and the presence of virtual interviewing, ghosting is likely not going away anytime soon. However, if you take intentional steps to make candidates feel valued, informed and supported, you can minimize ghosting from the outset and succeed in hiring qualified, passionate candidates.
Contact Aston Carter to learn more about how our Managed Solutions team can help your company establish efficient, personable and effective hiring processes for you and your candidates.
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