The Candidate Ghosting Paradox

The Candidate Ghosting Paradox

By the Talentify.io team

The enigma of "ghosting" in the complex landscape of modern recruitment is not a new issue, but one that has long cast shadows on both candidates and recruiters alike. As we delve into the intricacies of this ghosting phenomenon, we aim to illuminate its varied implications and reveal effective strategies for both professionals and job seekers

The Dual Nature of Recruitment Ghosting

To fully grasp "recruitment ghosting," one must recognize its two-sided character. Both recruiters and candidates find themselves caught in this puzzling web. On the one hand, companies occasionally float elusive job listings; on the other, candidates evaporate even after giving the nod to job offers. This cyclical dance of mutual ghosting clouds not just our data but corrodes the very trust underpinning professional interactions, and in many cases, trust on the source of these candidates.

Mastering Friction in Recruitment

Roger Dooley's "Friction" introduces us to the nuanced role of friction, not merely as a counterforce, but as a pivotal dynamic, bearing both positive and negative ramifications. This balance act is prominently on display in recruitment, as we juggle streamlining processes with nurturing genuine connections.


A Little Friction is Not Always Bad:

  • Considered Actions: Adding a slight obstacle can promote thoughtful decisions. For example, a couple of screening questions might prompt candidates to give the position more thought and, importantly, remember their application.
  • Employer Brand Value Preservation: Oversimplified processes may reduce perceived value. Robert Cialdini refers to the principle as "commitment and consistency." In his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," he discusses how undergoing a harder initiation process can make people value membership in a group more highly.

Who's Ghosting Whom?

First, candidates might believe they've been ghosted by you. Borrowing from the sales domain, there's a concept called "The Golden Hour." The core idea is that reaching out to a lead within the first hour significantly increases the chances of success because of the immediate recency of interest. However, if you delay beyond 24 hours, that lead may become cold.

Research from Indeed provides an essential insight: recruiters should ideally reach out to Easy Apply Candidates within 4 hours. Studies show that 47% of those who ghost have managed more than 5 job applications, significantly higher than the 31% observed in non-ghosters. An impressive 62% of ghosters already have a job offer, boosting their confidence in their search. The takeaway? Promptness is your best defense against ghosting.

Will AI Help or Exacerbate the Ghosting Problem?

There's an episode of the infamous animated series, South Park, where the students use ChatGPT to write their essays, and the school teacher uses ChatGPT to grade them. This scenario might soon mirror reality in recruiting, where Candidate Bots engage in extended conversations about their qualifications and 5-year plans with Recruiter Bots.

Candidate Bot Interviewed by Recruiter Bot

However, before we reach that juncture, AI has the potential to help recruiters and candidates connect more swiftly for positions in which candidates are genuinely interested, and where recruiters and hiring managers are delighted by the quality of their candidates.

At Talentify.io, we utilize AI to determine which roles are already drawing a substantial number of qualified candidates applying directly through the ATS. For these roles, maintaining certain friction ensures we receive quality candidates who are actively awaiting outreach from recruiters. On the flip side, our AI helps pinpoint those hard-to-fill roles that demand the least resistance to attract candidates. For such roles, we automatically move to streamline the application process, introducing an easy-apply version of the job.

We recognize that entirely removing friction from every job listing could inundate recruiters and elevate the risk of ghosting from both ends.But with AI's support, we can precisely discern which positions benefit from reduced friction. As a result, this aids us in quickly connecting with those sought-after candidates.

If you're a large employer interested in leveraging this solution at no cost, please reach out to us at: Talentify.io Candidate Ghosting AI Solution



Christopher Healy

Experienced Contact Center and Customer Service Professional

11 个月

Your opening paragraph states, "As we delve into the intricacies of this ghosting phenomenon, we aim to illuminate its varied implications and reveal effective strategies for both professionals and job seekers." Throughout the article, you put the ghosting exclusively on the job seeker and provide "insight" into how employers can help prevent applicants from ghosting them.?The only thing more annoying than being ghosted by hiring managers and their recruiters is your company's approach to making contact, telling the applicant that they appear to be a good fit, telling them you are going to pass their resume up to the "next step" and then you ghost them.?Your approach is disgraceful, and companies that use your service are dupes or not worthy of being a job seeker's next employer.

Chase Smith

Industrial/Commercial Electrician

1 年

Well said

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Faith W.

Senior Product Owner CSPO | Consistent Record of Profitable, High-Growth | Building & Empowering High-Performing Teams

1 年

I like the auto rejections when I apply, it will say I am missing some keywords and they're in there with 25 years of experience building applications for every type of industry. How am I instantly disqualified? Soon my resume would not make sense just be a bunch of keywords that don't make sense to get past the ATS???

Juliette Cepero

Bilingual Business Development and Sales Agent

1 年

So unprofessional to say the least !

Kevin McFall

Chief Marketing Officer | Head of Product | Board Member | Advisor and 2X Founder | House Music Historian | Alumnus of Sphera, Workday, Ebony Media, Cision, IAC, Tribune, ABA, Sara Lee, & DEC

1 年

The process with or without intentional friction should hold a standard of professional courtesy. While respecting the bandwidth of recruiters, I think it is fair to ask HR tech software publishers where is the technology intervention tool to prevent a lack of acknowledgment and/or going even further in the mechanism for providing feedback to the candidate against the requirements without making an employer vulnerable to being called out for questionable hiring practices.

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