Candidate Ghosting Is Not New And Here Is How It Evolved

CANDIDATE GHOSTING
The terms “ghosting,” “gone dark,” “off the radar,” and “no show” is mostly used in the dating world. However, these types of behaviors have become typical in recruiting situations as well due to the candidate-driven nature of today’s hiring market.
Experts tend to conclude that the ghosting trend is being driven by a labor market with more job openings than unemployed workers. Moreover, 2.3 percent of employed workers are quitting their jobs―the largest share since 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ghosting is typically seen in lower-wage, high-volume hourly roles such as retail and hospitality, but the trend has become more widespread in the last year due to the consistently tight labor market, particularly in technology and health care jobs.

"For years and years, some recruiters and hiring managers have treated employees terribly."

​For years and years, some recruiters and hiring managers have treated employees terribly. They ghost candidates--even after the candidate has come in for multiple interviews. They've required numerous interviews over multiple days, requiring candidates to use their vacation time to interview for jobs, and then not even bothering to let the candidate know they didn't get the job. Plus companies have no problem simply laying people off without notice and without severance.

To some extent, the rise of professional ghosting is due to a general erosion of professional business etiquette standards. Many of today’s job seekers would rather avoid confrontation and awkwardness than deliver bad news. 

"I think it goes back to the Golden Rule. The key is to treat job seekers fairly and with respect, and then hope they have the courtesy of doing the same."

You could also call it payback or karma, as company hiring managers have long been known to ghost people after interviews. Candidates learned that company recruiters consider it proper to simply ignore people they don't want to hire. It's not surprising that candidates have now decided that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

​However, the main explanation is that workers simply have more choices today. In the current market, managers are struggling to fill vacancies while skilled candidates often field multiple job offers. With so many options, candidates may not care whether they burn a few bridges along the way. This seems to be particularly true among entry-level positions with lower wages.

Additionally, workers care about corporate culture when seeking employment. If a candidate feels your company’s values don’t align with their preferences, they may simply stop communicating with you and focus on other potential employers instead.

Another way to deter candidates and new hires from ghosting you are by making sure your compensation packages, benefits, and workplace culture is competitive in the marketplace and highlighting those differentiators up front during the interview and on-boarding process. Some companies will make an offer a candidate can’t refuse. With record-low unemployment rates, you don’t have the luxury of lowballing the salary, even if you’re willing to negotiate it higher. Don’t play games. You can avoid turning off your top pick if you extend above-average compensation right away. A sign-on bonus, telecommuting option, pet insurance, health club, and other top perks would sweeten the deal and will result in a lower turnover.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED
There is a behavioral shift among job seekers and workers. The traditional thought process of 'I apply for a job, I interview for a job, I get hired, and I start the job'—those days are over. Workers are thinking of themselves as free agents. Candidates owe us nothing. This whole idea of loyalty and professionalism is archaic.

The status quo of recruiting will ultimately fail, and employers need to be more pliable to accommodate a contingent-minded workforce. Employers need to set themselves up as available and attractive, and if someone chooses not to show up for an interview or a start date, instead of getting upset, move on, get creative and come up with new solutions and strategic alternatives."

STAYING CONNECTED
Not all organizations have the luxury of offering concierge-level service, but employers need to try harder. we do try. It's essential for everyone involved in the hiring process to communicate authentically with candidates and new hires to prevent no-shows.
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If you or your corporate recruiter, has multiple requisitions, you can't possibly keep close track of your candidates, much less have the freedom and the time to really develop personal relationships and get inside their heads.

LM Hurley & Associates are Headhunters who are transparent and consultative with our clients and candidates. We build a relationship with candidates throughout the process, so candidates are more transparent and are far less likely to ghost us!

As recruiting consultants we serve as career coaches to candidates and we develop a transparent relationship with them.  We are honest with them, and in return, we find that they will reciprocate f they are seriously considering another opportunity Candidates feel more comfortable telling us, the recruiter what's really happening with other opportunities or personal situations, instead of just disappearing.

Communication is the key to this disconnect.  We like to get to know the candidate before jumping into typical interview questions. That is why we have a lower rate of being “ghosted” by the candidate once the recruiting process starts. Understand, as recruiters, if we do get ghosted by candidates, it happens before they interview with our clients. 
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I think it goes back to the Golden Rule. The key is to treat job seekers fairly and with respect, and then hope they have the courtesy of doing the same.
Source: Lauren Hurley, LM Hurley & Associates