Ghost or Not to Ghost?
In the past few days, I have had the opportunity to interview young professionals for an entry-level position. All of them were in their early twenties and came with referrals, but I noticed something interesting: only one of them had a LinkedIn account. When I asked about this, their response was that they didn't believe LinkedIn was a valuable networking tool and that it required too much effort on their part.
This perspective reflects a growing sentiment among young candidates. They are questioning the effectiveness of LinkedIn as a networking platform and are hesitant to invest their time and energy into it. It seems that these individuals prefer alternative methods or platforms to establish professional connections.
The reluctance to embrace LinkedIn presents an additional challenge for recruiters in the post-pandemic era. As they strive to find suitable candidates for virtual or hybrid work arrangements, they now encounter a pool of young professionals who are less inclined to utilize traditional networking platforms. Recruiters must adapt their strategies to explore alternative channels and methods for reaching these candidates.
Despite this shift in attitudes towards LinkedIn, recruiters continue to navigate the recruitment process with its various experiences, ranging from amusing to disheartening. Dealing with excessive communication from candidates seeking constant updates or feedback remains a test of patience. Rather than resorting to drastic measures, recruiters must maintain professionalism and handle these situations with poise.
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The issue of candidates "ghosting" recruiters, where they abruptly disappear from the process, adds to the frustrations. It is particularly disappointing when a candidate shows promise but then vanishes without any explanation. Recruiters, however, rely on their experience to develop contingency plans that account for these unforeseen circumstances.
Alongside these challenges, recruiters also encounter the unconventional email addresses that candidates choose to use. Instances of funny or inappropriate email addresses, like [email protected] or [email protected], can be surprising or even amusing for recruiters. This raises the question of whether these choices are intentional or simply a result of applicants' lack of awareness regarding professional presentation.
Being a recruiter is undeniably challenging, but the rewards lie in successfully matching the right candidate with the right job. Despite the unconventional behaviors and peculiar experiences that arise, recruiters persevere in their mission to connect candidates with suitable opportunities. By embracing adaptability and resilience, recruiters can overcome the hurdles posed by the evolving recruitment landscape and foster successful employer-candidate relationships.
Lilith Kirsh
New year, new career!
1 年I'm not sure it's fair to judge new professionals on email handles as an age group. If workers in their 50s and 60s are using wild addresses like hotgrandma4eva@hotmail on their resumes, I don't see how or why the new generation is going to be expected to be more polished. Ghosting is not restricted to age by any stretch. In my experience, young professionals ghost less often than mid-career candidates by a wide margin. Sounds like a "kids these days" complaint when LinkedIn should be wondering what other social media and job board platforms are doing to drive traffic because that's who they're competing with.