Ghosting in HR: what is it and how to avoid it

A candidate waits in front of his telephone for the call of the recruiter. This is an example of ghosting in HR. A process that starts but ends abruptly when one of the parts doesn't reply anymore.

If you have been looking for a job lately, you will probably relate with this post. Ghosting has arrived to HR. What is ghosting? A practice that consists in cutting abruptly any kind of relationship. Also work-related ones.

We want to portrait this behaviour. Why does it happen in recruitment? And more importantly: what can you do about it?

What is work ghosting?

A selected candidate that doesn’t show up at the workplace on their first day. An employee that disappears after a few days (or whenever). Or a candidate to a job that vanishes after an interview, or after applying to an offer.

These are all examples of work ghosting. In this post, we want to tell you more specifically about those sudden, unexpected disappearances that happen before the incorporation. 86% of hiring processes, according to a study from Jobatus, end with one of the two parts never replying again.

Online job interview; the recruiter looks at the resumé of a candidate. Sometimes, even after an interview there is ghosting in HR.
This phenomena happens even after overcoming one or more job interviews.

Why does ghosting in HR happen

There are many reasons, but the most common one is very similar between candidates and recruiters.

When the ‘abandoned one’ is the candidate, it is normally due to a bad management of the process from the recruiters. The big quantity of candidates seems to be the number one cause why some of them begin a process that ends without an answer from the recruiters.

On the other hand, when particulars are searching for a job, they try their luck with different companies. And many times, once they have been hired by one of them, they forget or just decide not to communicate to the rest that they refuse to continue with the process.

Recruiters and candidates disappearing all of a sudden is a practice becoming more and more common in hiring processes

How to avoid ghosting as a recruiter…

If you are a recruiter, there are several actions you can take so candidates don’t ghost you. And many others so you don’t do the same with your candidates.

  • Be very specific about the kind of candidate you are looking for. The more concrete you are communicating the job’s conditions, benefits and requirements, the easier your process will be. Due to it, you will avoid candidates that don’t suit the offer, and your capability to manage proper answers will be a lot bigger.
  • Be agile in the hiring process. Try for the whole thing to happen fast, within your possibilities. Never forget about doing a good job, while at the same time having in mind that other companies might be faster than you, and consequently hire the candidate that would have been perfect for your business. Which will hurt even more if that candidate stops replying to you…
  • Communicate constantly with candidates. If the process can’t be closed in one or two days, or it involves several phases or interviews, be communicative. Tell the candidates about all the updates you can. If they feel you value them, they will then value your work back. And they probably wont’ ghost you.
  • Have in mind that good experiences bring good references. Ghosting in hiring processes has its consequences. As any other action you take. Do you believe a ghosted candidate will speak well about your company? Probably not. But if you treat every candidate as a person, and not just a number, you will be perceived as a better professional and your brand will be benefitted from it.

… and as a candidate

If you are a candidate, you know the frustration when companies ghost you. You have one or more interviews, they promise to call you… But they don’t. If that happens, you must know it’s not your fault. If a company doesn’t give you any feedback, that speaks bad about the company. Not about your capabilities or value as a worker.

Moreover, you can’t control it. Also, if they don’t respect you and your time, you might want to look for a better place to develop yourself. Have in mind that as a candidate you have the same responsibility back. Communicating that a process is not of your interest anymore, going to an interview when they call you… or at least, not standing up the recruiters, are good practices that make you look professional and empathetic.

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