4 Ways to Never Ghost Someone Professionally
Rafael Maga?a
Senior Director Of Development - Corporate Partnerships, Major Gifts, & Planned Giving
Ghosting is the practice of choosing to ignore someone that you've been in contact with. You do this when you decide that you no longer need them in your life, but are uncomfortable about having a conversation about it. The practice of ghosting is common in the romantic dating world; people behave in a similar fashion in the business world too, however.
Romantic ghosting may be an inconsiderate way to treat people, but it usually comes with no consequences. When you ghost a business contact, however, it could come back to haunt you. If you have professionally ghosted people, you need to know that you could be making a mistake that you could regret.
1. Ghosting a recruiter
Recruiters and employers often stop responding to applicants that they are no longer interested in. People looking for jobs can ghost recruiters and employers, too. They stop responding to recruiters and employers simply because they see it as too much work.
It's important to understand, however, that ghosting a recruiter or employer may be a bad idea, because you may need them at some point in the future. If you would like to see them disappear from your life simply because you have no further use for them, a simple, noncommittal message about how you're not ready at the moment is all it takes. You need to show respect, and leave the door open, just in case you should need to work with them in the future.
2. Neglecting to thank someone
Often, you will need to contact people on LinkedIn or another professional network, and ask for advice, tips, or guidance. Should you receive a reply, it's important to thank them for the time they took. Often, however, people simply neglect to offer thanks, pretending as if there is nothing left for them to do. Here, as well, it's a bad idea simply because it isn't polite. Ghosting people in this way can also lead to difficulties down the road, should you need their help at any point.
3. Not taking action on a lead
When you ask someone if they could help you out by referring you to a job, or making a recommendation, you ask them to put their credibility on the line for you. Even if you do not feel like following up on the lead, it's important that you do. While you shouldn't have to accept a job just because someone took the trouble to recommend you to it, it's important to follow through, at least, thank them for their effort, and explain the situation to them.
4. Neglecting to keep a promise
Professional networks tend to be small. If you make someone a promise, it's important that you hold up your end of the bargain. You could easily find yourself in need of their help at some point in the future. Neglecting to keep promises is a form of professional ghosting, and can ruin a relationship.
When people ghost other people, usually, they do it out of laziness, or a lack of awareness of the amount of hurt that such neglect tends to cause. It's important to understand that such behavior can get in the way of your professional advancement in the future.
?___________
Join 7,500+ thought leaders, managers, entrepreneurs who have already subscribed to the Latino Professionals Newsletter. Join and?subscribe here.
Live in Los Angeles, California? Want to join the largest Latino Professionals group in Los Angeles on Meetup with over 1,660+ members? Join the waitlist?here.
___________
Related articles
________________
Copyright January 22, 2022 by Rafael Maga?a. Contact for usage license.
Rafael Maga?a helps organizations grow. Helps leaders accelerate strategy implementation in their organizations. Specializes in donor-centered Philanthropy. Major Gift & Planned Giving Officer - Veritus Scholar. Rafael is a Board of Trustees at the?Hollywood Schoolhouse, Development Chair, and has been a member of the Board of Directors with the?Navy League of The United States, Beverly Hills Council since 2006. Enjoys writing about leadership, management and careers.?Founder of?Latino Professionals,?Latina Professionals, &?Latinx Professionals. He resides in California.?
Disclaimer:?Opinions expressed are solely my own.
Also, If you enjoyed this article I'd be honored if you would follow and connect with me. My goal on LinkedIn is to share ideas that inspire leaders, managers, entrepreneurs and careers. Over the last six years, I've written over 300 LinkedIn articles and I would like to invite you personally to join my groups?Latino Professionals?(70,000+ members),?Latina Professionals?(65,000+ members),?Latinx Professionals?(30,500+ members)?and?District Manager Networking in the United States?(4,600+ members). Follow Rafael on?LinkedIn?(21,000+ connections).
You can also find my articles and tools that might be helpful to you below.
Select your learning interests below?
Read my latest Hispanic Executive Magazine articles?here.
Enjoy my work? Want to work together? Would you like to feature or publish one of my articles in your publication? Let's talk!
Share & comment below and I'll?connect with you to further the conversation.
Treasury professional in Cash Management & Risk | Consultant | Accounting | Finance | Data Analysis | Markets
3 年Great read
Director, Contracts and Grants / Deputy Export Compliance Officer at Universities Space Research Association (USRA)
3 年Perfect article!
WOO~RESPONSIBILITY~INCLUDER~ARRANGER ~COMMUNICATION Human Connections Cultivator, HR Professional, Passionate for Communities, Social Media Influencer, Youth ENGAGER, Ultimate Networker & Human 311
3 年YES follow this advice, it is key to being responsible and professional. It is OK to state not available at this time, not interested due to going back to school or in the middle of an important event or project or point blank not interested!! Professional individuals do not ignore a person that took the time to reach out to you in the first place!! Thank You Rafael for Sharing and for enlightening us all!!
First Gen Latina | Bilingual Talent Sourcer | Recruiter | BioPharma | Pharmaceutical | Healthcare| Diversity Specialist | Workforce Development| Mental Health Advocate | IBD Diplomat| Krav Maga
3 年I’ve been ghosted by candidates all the time , I put those notes into their workday profile , if they apply with us again we track all communication and lack of communication in our system
Always Recruiting, Inc. We are sourcing Nationwide.
3 年Great reminders, Thank you.