Let’s say the resume of a job applicant interested you; you had a small initial conversation and got impressed with the right skills and the perfect attitude for the job. So you set up an interview and even receive an acknowledgement. But what happens on the day of the interview?
It’s a NO SHOW.
You get zero response to your messages and calls as if they had simply vanished off the earth. Guess what? You’ve been ghosted.
Candidate ghosting is simply the art of disappearing without a word. This has become a common phenomenon, causing daily frustration for hiring managers across industries who struggle to find qualified candidates for the company.
It’s an unfortunate trend that has made its way from the dating world to the corporate workplace.
According to last year’s report, 76% of employers had been ghosted over the past year, and almost 57% noted that ghosting is more common than ever before.
However, some are taking the trend to a whole different level, with 46% of job applicants not showing up for a scheduled interview and 7% failing to join on their first day after successfully acquiring a job.
So why has candidate ghosting become a horrifying trend? Let’s take a look at these facts to find out.
According to the last year’s report:
- 20% of the candidates said they received another offer consider they might receive a better job offer in the meantime
- 13% were dissatisfied with the salary proposed to them
- 15% revealed that they decided the job wasn’t right for them
We live in a society where people think it is okay not to respond. Many candidates consider that ghosting an employer won’t catch up to them, and there will be no consequences for this unprofessional act.
However, with the increase in ghosting, hiring managers are working on their strategies to protect themselves from the considerable time lost on these candidates.
Since, it seems that job ghosting is here to stay (unfortunately), as employers, HR managers and recruiters, your best option remains in finding and applying the Golden Rules that would help you get through the hiring process. Also, to minimize the number of ghostings.
What Hiring Strategies Can We Use To Reduce Candidate Ghosting?
An offer they can’t refuse
Salary and pay rates should be mentioned ideally on the job posting; even if your job posting doesn’t include salary information, the best time to discuss salary is before the scheduled interview.
However, it needs to be managed in the prescreening process to make sure that both parties are on the same page. Even though the negotiation process would take place, a more upfront manager can instil confidence and a comfort level in the candidate.
Communication is the key
Maintaining consistent communication with the candidates can also improve your recruitment process. The consistent communication with the candidate tightens up the whole procedure.
Employers must add more effort in responding to candidates’ resumes, and follow up with candidates even if they’re not the right match for your job requirements at the moment. But you never know when a role may come up, so maintaining warm and engaging conversations is better than leaving them in the dark.
Remove ‘Easy Apply’ Options in Job Platforms
Your level of frustration could easily mount if you have to sort out candidates who are genuinely interested, who don’t match the job requirements, and those who have simply applied just to fulfil their employment requirements.
Some job portals offer job seekers an option to ‘Easy Apply’ allowing anyone to apply for the post even without having to read the basic requirements and details. Removing this option can help you in differentiating your candidates easily.
So start making the much-needed changes to your hiring process. Implement these strategies and see for yourself the difference it would make. Job candidate ghosting will be here for a while, so prepare yourself and get ready to take on the next batch of candidate applications.
