The idea of candidates ghosting a prospective employer might come as a surprise to most people. However, it does happen quite often.
A 2021 research report by a leading job portal found that around 28% of job applicants ghosted a prospective employer over the last year.
What’s surprising about this stat is it’s higher than in the pre-pandemic era. Ghosting is a two-way street now, contrary to what it used to be earlier. Let’s take a quick look into some common reasons behind job ghosting.
Reasons Behind Job Ghosting
Companies put considerable time and resources into hiring suitable candidates for various job roles. Unfortunately, candidate ghosting can be counter-productive to their efforts.
Here are some of the most common reasons why candidates might ghost employers:
Lack of a Hiring Structure
A structured hiring approach defines the nature and scope of the job roles, the experience required, and the other attributes of a suitable candidate. It also ensures an equitable interviewing experience for everyone.
Not having a defined hiring structure is thus one of the main reasons behind candidates ghosting employers.
Delay in Response
Many a time, recruiters fail to update candidates regarding their interview process.
Delayed replies from the HR executive can compel candidates to look for other opportunities. This ultimately results in candidates ghosting prospective employers.
An Unorganized Interview Process
An unorganized interview process can be a significant deterrent for candidates and is a prominent reason behind ghosting.
Sloppy interview processes mostly lead to rescheduling of interviews, and it’s no less than a nightmare for job seekers.
Unclear Job Description
A clear job description helps candidates assess the employer’s expectations.
Unclear job descriptions can be puzzling for prospective candidates. They might not resonate with their skillset, which can lead to them ignoring the opportunity by ghosting the recruiter.
Not Having an Employer Brand
Employer branding is crucial to hiring the best talent in the industry. Not establishing a strong employer brand will increase the probability of ghosting by candidates.
A robust employer branding also ensures a sense of job stability which most people prefer and actively look for.
How to Prevent Candidate Ghosting?
In modern times, it is crucial to have a robust recruitment strategy to avoid being ghosted by shortlisted candidates.
Here are some essential tips that can help reduce the chances of candidate ghosting:
Communicate Better
Being transparent with candidates about their interview process through timely communication goes a long way. It shows that you respect the candidate’s time.
Recruiters should also offer constructive feedback to candidates based on their interviews and tests. This helps create a positive experience for job aspirants, who are then less inclined to ghost.
Make Quick Decisions
Nobody likes to wait for as long as a month to hear about their interview results. Job aspirants might prefer to go for other opportunities in case of delays in the recruitment process.
Therefore, making quick decisions is crucial to keep candidates happy during the interview process. It will reduce the chances of candidate ghosting drastically.
Discuss the Compensation
Discussing compensation during job interviews is essential.
Companies should have some flexibility in their compensation plan. They should also be open to discussing the pay scale during the recruitment process.
Candidates often ghost employers due to the low pay scale offered for a particular job.
Improve the Candidate’s Experience
Improving the candidate’s job application and interview experience will help you hire the best talent.
Maintaining transparency and ensuring timely communication with prospective candidates is thus vital. Using applicant tracking software and CRM can help employers achieve the same without much effort.
Communicate Frequently with New Hires
New recruits should be updated about all new developments regarding their job role.
Communicating frequently with new hires is essential to familiarize them with the company’s culture and job environment. Candidates are less likely to ghost when they are kept in the loop about new changes.
Conclusion
In today’s world, employers fear being ghosted by candidates as much as candidates fear being ghosted by recruiters.
A dynamic recruitment strategy that considers candidates’ experience is a must to avoid such unfortunate situations. Making a quick decision regarding the hiring process and keeping candidates in the loop about new developments will help you hire the best talent and avoid ghosting.
