Written by Mairead Simons

Ghosting was coined originally for the online dating world, but it’s a word that becoming more and more frequent within recruitment, unfortunately. Ghosting employers is becoming a huge problem, with candidates often going through a lengthy interview process – only to drop out upon offer, never to be heard from again. In a candidate-driven market, employers are often left in difficult situations when this happens.

Why do candidates’ ghost?

• They’ve accepted another job offer. Sometimes it can be as simple as this, and the candidate does not feel the need to let anybody know.
• Communication hasn’t been great throughout the interview process, or the hiring process is too long. If there have been lengthy delays during the process or periods when you haven’t always been in contact, then it can’t be expected that a candidate will stay engaged.
• They’ve been ghosted themselves. 77% of candidates claim to have been ghosted themselves by either an employer or a recruiter, so they may not see an issue with doing this back.

For job seekers who have often been on the other end of this new phenomenon, for example not hearing back from employers after the interview stage, there is a lack of guilt when it comes to ghosting roles, they are no longer interested in.

There are key indicators during the interview process that can suggest whether a candidate is likely to ghost or not. Keeping an eye out for small details that are indicative of a candidate’s behaviours, can save time in the long run. There are also plenty of actions employers can take to avoid being ghosted:

• Keep candidates engaged with a streamlined and interesting interview process. Supporting candidates through the process gives a great first impression of your company and will make candidates have greater loyalty to you from day one, making ghosting less likely.
• Encourage feedback from candidates at all stages of the hiring process. If a candidate is unhappy with the role on offer, then it is better you find this out in the earliest stages, so encouraging candidates to be open and honest with you can save time and effort, and avoid a ghosting scenario.