The Scary Reality of Ghosting

You’ve gone through several resumes and interviews to hire your ideal candidate. When you go to welcome them on their first day of work, you discover they never arrived, and didn’t bother to call. Unfortunately, you have just experienced ghosting. 

What is ghosting?

Ghosting is the abrupt end of all communication by the job applicant who suddenly disappears during the hiring process. The term ghosting originated with online dating, where people decided to cancel without calling, and now this practice has transitioned into the workplace. 

According to a 2019 Indeed survey, 83% of employers said they have experienced ghosting, and out of 4,000 job seekers surveyed, 18% admitted they had ghosted an employer. Also, these same candidates explained how they ghosted, including:

• Didn’t attend a scheduled job interview – 50%
• Stopped responding to the hiring manager – 46%
• Accepted the job, but didn’t show up on the first day – 22%
• Agreed to a verbal job offer, but didn’t sign the paperwork – 19%

Also, the newer phenomenon of ghosting coasting is another way that new hires are leaving employers. According to a 2021 Business Insider article, workers who haven’t been vetted properly, will start their job, stay only a few days or weeks, and then suddenly quit without notice. Oftentimes, they are coasting, by taking advantage of onboarding and training, to hang on just long enough to avoid being fired or waiting for a better opportunity to come along.

When job candidates decide not to show up or stay only for a short time, it can be difficult for the employer to start the hiring process over again. According to Zippia, it can also be expensive, with an average cost of $4,425 to hire each employee. This leaves the hiring managers frustrated, while also wondering why job seekers who just got hired, decided to leave before they even started.

Why are candidates ghosting employers?

According to the Indeed survey, the average age of job candidates who ghosted their employer was 34 years old, with 70% working full-time. The main reasons that candidates chose to ghost their employer was:

• Hiring process was either too long or slow 
• Not enough transparency about the company
• Didn’t know how they should proceed forward
• Concerned about hurting the recruiter’s feelings

Other factors include receiving an offer from another company, deciding it wasn’t the right job for them, or being dissatisfied with the salary or benefits after thinking about it. Also, not wanting to face the hiring manager, or engaging in an uncomfortable conversation was also a reason for ghosting the employer.

Changing Labor Market 

With the latest Job Openings and Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reporting 11.5 million openings as of March 31, 2022, there’s a high demand for workers. With almost two jobs for every candidate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current unemployment rate is 3.6%. The forecasted labor growth over the next decade is projected to be 4.0%, which is the lowest decline compared to the growth seen in the 1970s when it was 30.2%.

This low participation rate has also been impacted by the high number of retirements of Baby Boomers (1946-1964) who left the workforce. According to Pew Research, 50.3% of workers over age 55, retired in the third quarter of 2021, mostly prompted by concerns of the pandemic. During the pandemic, about 16 million workers also considered themselves self-employed.

Attitude toward work has changed since the pandemic with more people, especially Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012) striving for a better work experience. While compensation is important, it’s not the only factor and these generations are generally looking for more meaningful work. Often they’ll search for a company that shares their values, has comprehensive benefits, flexible scheduling and Paid Time Off (PTO). They also want to work for a business who truly cares about them, including their physical and mental health. 

What steps can employers take to prevent ghosting?

All of these factors are making it more difficult for employers to hire and retain employees. Ghosting is becoming a more “acceptable” practice. As 94% of job applicants indicated they didn’t have any significant consequences from ghosting a previous employer, according to the Indeed survey. 

Employers who understand how and why this happens, can follow these recommendations by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to help curtail a bad experience for everyone:

Interviewing More Candidates

Knowing that ghosting can occur at any point of the hiring process, starting with a larger pool of candidates is preferred. Especially if your business has multiple positions to fill such as the restaurant or retail industries. By starting with more candidates, as people ghost, the impact will be smaller, and you’ll have a better chance of filling positions. 

Shorten the Hiring Process

Job candidates are frequently discouraged by multiple interviews or a prolonged decision-making process, when they have other options available to them. If they have to go through 3 to 4 interviews that are difficult to coordinate, they’ll often choose another employer who makes a faster decision. Sometimes opting for those who are willing to hire on-the-spot.

Communicate Every Step Clearly

During the interview show transparency by telling your candidate what to expect as they go through each step. Candidates that are kept in the loop with multiple calls throughout, will feel more informed about the position and the process.

Show the Value of Working There

As you review your candidates qualifications, remember they’re also comparing your company with other businesses that align with their values. By showing the value of your company and what you offer employees, will encourage the job seeker to stay engaged with you.