Ghosting. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it is the latest trend that sees one person cut off all communication abruptly and without an explanation. Ghosting was once only confined to dating apps and dating in general, but it has now slowly moved its way into how candidates deal with the recruitment process.
So, why does ghosting happen in recruitment?
On this episode of…The Ghost of the Recruiters Past.
While that is an attempt at a dad joke, that title is quite applicable. It seems in recruitment, there is now a case of ‘what goes around comes around’. While some recruiters probably don’t consider what they do to be ‘ghosting’, that can be exactly what it is. Historically, recruiters have long failed to return candidate phone calls, emails and often just suddenly stopped communication with prospective job seekers.
Fast forward to what is now a candidate market driven by multiple job options, and it seems the shoe is now on the other foot. Today, candidate ghosting has become common- and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
So, why do candidates ghost you?
- They want to avoid confrontation. We are programmed to seek pleasure, not pain. Naturally, candidates would prefer to avoid situations that would make them feel uncomfortable or that can lead to opposition.
- The candidate has a lot of other job offers. Just as dating apps give users an endless list of possible love connections, the current job market gives candidates the impression that if they “swipe left” on one job, another that’s even better might be right around the corner.
- Karma. Perhaps, they have been ghosted in the past by a recruiter and they are just looking to give them a taste of their own medicine. And if it has happened to them before, they may also believe that this is just a reflection of what is considered to be professional and fair in recruitment.
4 Steps to prevent candidate ghosting from happening to you:
- Streamline your hiring process. Be quick. If you want to hire someone, don’t delay. Over 70% of job seekers will turn to their second-choice offer if their top company takes too long to respond. And if they’ve already accepted another offer, they may not be so inclined to communicate that information back to you.
- Communication – There is nothing more frustrating to a candidate than not knowing where they stand, and what the next steps are in the recruitment process. Show transparency and keep them updated and engaged throughout each stage of interviews. Without doing this, they may just reciprocate that lack of communication back to you. Follow up with them frequently and address any concerns or questions they have.
- Use alternate forms of communication. A candidate’s inbox is constantly being bombarded with promotional emails, spam and marketing updates. Your email can, at times, get lost among the masses. When in doubt, turn to other forms of communication, such as text messages – only if you have built that rapport with the candidate and when appropriate. This is particularly relevant for the younger generation of job seekers.
- Don’t be pushy. If you haven’t heard back from a candidate instantly, don’t be discouraged. Top candidates are potentially receiving a lot of outreach from other recruiters across multiple platforms. This isn’t the time for you to do a pushy sales pitch. Rather than just reminding the candidate that you haven’t heard from them in a while, try sharing a piece of content that they’ll find relevant or amusing. This should trigger them to respond accordingly to your other message.
Ghosting doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. While the trend may be disheartening, it goes both ways. Candidates now ghosting recruiters and recruiters ghosting candidates. Empathy for the other person appears to be the only answer to the problem here.
Understand where the candidate is coming from, know that they want to know where they stand, what the next steps are and whether they are successful for a role – just as much as you want to know whether they are interested.
In summary, here are 4 steps that you can take to prevent you from being ghosted by a candidate:
1) Streamline your hiring process
2) Communication
3) Use alternate forms of communication
4) Don’t be pushy
RECOMMENDED READING If you enjoyed reading this blog post, why not dive deeper and learn more about Improving Candidate Experience: - 6 Ways Of Successfully Luring Passive Candidates - 6 Ways To Decide Between 2 Amazing Candidates - Why Building Trust Is Important For Recruiters - 3 Biggest Mistakes That Hurt The Candidate Experience
