Are Your Candidates Ghosting You?

I have had several business owners and hiring managers ask me about why candidates are “ghosting” them for interviews. In case you are not familiar with the term, ghosting means “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, withdrawing from all communication.”

Apparently, candidates are ghosting potential employers with increased frequency. The job seeker applies for a job and when the company calls them for an interview, the candidate either never responds or schedules the interview and then never shows up.

Several employers that I have discussed this issue with are really upset and rightly so, especially when the candidate schedules and does not show up for interviews.

If you are encountering this issue, here are a few suggestions:

1. Most importantly, take a big deep breath. If a candidate does not up for an interview, you now have 30 minutes to an hour to get something else done that you may not have had time to accomplish in your day.
2. The candidate did you a huge favor by not attending the interview. No call/so show behavior would have most likely appeared in their job performance if they had made it through the hiring process and began working for you. Be grateful – they just made your job easier by not having to fire them later.
3. I am seeing ghosting from ALL levels of candidates from entry level to senior level and in all industries. It is not just you and your organization this is happening to, so do not take it personally.
4. Remember: Employers are the ones that started ghosting when we quit responding to ALL candidate inquiries. A simple “thanks but no thanks” is all recruits want when they apply and are not chosen. As hiring professionals, it is hard to justify being too upset now that the tables have turned when non-responsiveness to candidates has become common place.
5. Turn the opportunity into a positive learning experience. Remember that candidates also deserve your best customer service. Return messages, calls and emails in a timely fashion. Be courteous and do what you say you are going to do when you set expectations with your potential hires.

You cannot eliminate ALL ghosting from candidates, but you can do your part to create a great place to work. That means be a great “host” and quit being a “ghost”.