An Insider’s Take: What is up with Candidate and New Hire Ghosting?

In today's fast-paced job market, the phenomenon of "ghosting"—where candidates or new hires suddenly cut off all communication without explanation—is becoming increasingly prevalent. This behavior not only disrupts recruitment processes but also imposes significant costs on businesses. On a personal level, I can’t help but view ghosting, or more broadly, people not doing what they say they are going to do, as unprofessional. “Doing what you say you are going to do” was a lesson deeply ingrained in me during my early childhood. I have an early memory of playing outside with my friends and my father calling me home to go to baseball practice. I enjoyed baseball, but I was having fun … and, after all, it was just practice. I asked my father if I could skip practice that day for his quick response of, “No, you made a commitment to play baseball, you made a commitment to your team. If you do not wish to play baseball next year, you can let me know before next season.”

Our experiences shape our behaviors and can inform how we conduct ourselves in our careers. In speaking with company leaders across the country, hollow commitments and ghosting seem to be on the rise. Are younger generations of professionals just wired differently? Has the creation of “Gen P” (Generation Pandemic), reduced in-person interaction and remote work, or the power given to candidates due to supply and demand shifts in available talent exacerbated this problem? This is an interesting debate for another day. For now, I will just queue into a lesson learned from my mother, “Everyone has their own situations, try and understand before casting judgment.”

Exploring the Reasons Behind Ghosting

While no two candidates are exactly alike, there can be various factors behind ghosting; some of which have no malicious intent:

• Multiple Offers: Candidates often continue interviewing even after accepting an offer, leading to ghosting if a better opportunity arises.
• Fear of Confrontation: Some individuals find it difficult to communicate their change of heart or rejection directly.
• Market Dynamics: In a candidate-driven market, job seekers might feel overwhelmed by choices and opt to ghost less preferred options.

Understanding these motives is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate ghosting. While it’s easy to paint the behavior as a one-size-fits-all reaction, there is generally more to the story.

The Impact on Companies

Aside from frustration and the opportunity cost (time), ghosting can have significant impacts on employers. Two of these areas are financial and cultural implications:

• Recruitment Costs: Time and resources spent on the recruitment process are wasted, necessitating a restart of the hiring process.
• Team Morale and Delays: Unexpected vacancies can demoralize teams and delay projects, impacting overall productivity.

Both areas have cultural impact as well. Teams and leaders feel the burden of unfilled positions, where others across the organization carry additional burden and responsibilities in the interim.

Strategies to Reduce Ghosting

To minimize ghosting, companies can adopt several approaches. Two effective tactics are rooted in communication:

• Enhanced Communication: Regular, engaging communication can keep candidates involved in the process. It’s hard to over-communicate with a candidate as they near the point of decision and onboarding.
• Feedback Loops: Providing and requesting feedback can help maintain transparency and manage expectations on both sides. It also demonstrates a sincere desire to listen and respond to candidate concerns.

While ghosting may seem new to your company, most staffing agencies would tell you this is not a new phenomenon. The terms “ghosting” or “gone dark” have been common phrases throughout my entire career. Truthfully, it makes perfect sense, while we can be an advocate for a professional and help them achieve their next career move, they know we are not the endgame when it comes to their employment. On top of that, there are a lot of bad agencies out there that do their fair share of ghosting of candidates.

At Networks Connect, we have created a process to reduce ghosting. Based upon the client, the level of role, and the volume of positions, we customize our approach; however, all the processes we construct follow a few simple rules:

1. Always provide feedback to candidates with whom you engage. Providing good feedback is easy, but the best agencies will provide the “disappointing” feedback as well. Most people would agree; disappointing feedback is easier to manage than no feedback.
2. Slow down to speed up. Attempting to make human relationships, transactional will always fail.
3. Personalized and specific communication. Our company vision is: “Realize our full potential to service ONE individual at a time.” Commitments are more likely to be honored when relational depth is established.
4. Communicate early and often. Perform a multi-step interview process. Conduct interview preparation calls to set candidates up for success.? Debrief with candidates immediately following their interview, and with the client as soon after the interview as possible to provide feedback (good, bad, or ugly) to the candidate immediately. Why do later what you can do now?
5. Check in conversations. Once an offer is accepted, there is often a notice period (2+ weeks). Time without communication is the greatest threat to all placements. Break up that time with check-in calls and continue for the first 2-4 weeks once a person starts a new position. This is the most vulnerable time next to the pre-start window.
6. Push the interview process.? I am not suggesting you eliminate steps or shorten the minutes of an interview, encourage the client to condense the number of days between steps.? Time kills all deals as it opens the door to other opportunities.? In a competitive marketplace, if one company takes four weeks to get through three interviews while another completes their process in a week and a half, the more efficient company will have the edge.

Leveraging Technology

Technological solutions can also play a key role in reducing ghosting. Remember, it’s all about consistent engagement, and there are digital tools to help, including:

• Automated Follow-Ups: Systems that send automated messages to keep candidates engaged and informed throughout the hiring process.
• Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) Tools: These tools help maintain an active and attractive engagement with potential hires.

While technology can augment what you do, my suggestion is to ensure that a personal touch remains. Allow automated workflows to assist with things that are more transactional in nature, but never take comfort that it can replace the human element.? I’ve always said that the three most important things in a person’s life are their beliefs, their loved ones, and their career that supports it all. A career move is a big deal; don’t take it lightly because a good candidate isn’t.

Building a Positive Employer Brand

A strong employer brand that resonates with job seekers can significantly reduce the likelihood of ghosting:

• Brand Perception: Ensuring that the company's work culture and employee benefits are well communicated.
• Employer Branding Campaigns: These campaigns can attract candidates who are a better cultural fit and more committed to the organization.

Don’t be Scared; Be Prepared

While frustrating, ghosting is likely to haunt talent leaders in the years to come. Understanding the underlying factors and behaviors can help you proactively take action and mitigate the expense and inefficiency. Fortunately, you can act today to help close the gap on these illusive candidates.

#TalentStrategy #RecruitingInsights #StaffingIndustry #TalentAcquisition #Ghosting

Chris Madden is President and Founder of Networks Connect, a leading staffing firm dedicated to the healthcare and professional sectors. His passion to connect impactful individuals, enhancing careers and benefiting companies has reached thousands of candidates and hundreds of talent leaders. With a transparent approach, Chris is committed to sharing industry insights, tips, and trends to help peers achieve their workforce goals.