According to one 2020 survey, job candidates turned ghostly 28% of the time. What is ghosting, and how can you combat what has become one of the primary business challenges facing today’s employers?
What Is Candidate Ghosting?
It’s generally agreed upon that today’s job recruitment market tilts in favor of new hires. Job openings outnumber qualified workers.
Businesses are left struggling to fill long-vacant positions. Candidates know that they have the upper hand, so they feel comfortable ghosting a would-be employer.
Interviewing Is Like Dating
Ghosting during the interviewing phase is not much different than ghosting during a dating phase. Often, someone exchanges personal contact information with an exciting party but soon refuses to acknowledge their existence after meeting someone more appealing.
Just because they initially meet someone who captures their attention, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to stop looking for someone else to date. The same applies to career opportunities.
Just because the person interviewed well with you, it doesn’t mean that they’re sitting at home waiting idly for your email, call, or text. No, for them, the game isn’t over.
They will continue to pursue other companies until they feel that they’ve exhausted their options. When they ghost you—you guessed it—they received another offer that they consider better.
How to Prevent Candidate Ghosting
Before you shake a disagreeing finger at candidates who ghost, honestly assess your role in the affair. When the applicant first applied for the position, did you immediately acknowledge receipt of the application?
Keep the Candidates in the Loop
Did you give the potential employees a fair and accurate estimation of when they could expect to hear from you? Did you then stick to that timetable and correspond with the applicants?
If applicants don’t feel that you’re keeping them informed, their opinion of working for you will take a hit. Instead of being their dream employer, you may now be only in the middle of the pack.
Promote Your Company’s Values
If you want to remain a preferred employer, you’re going to make sure that your company shines brighter than its competitors because of its values. For example, are you recognized for trying to bring marginalized societies into the larger marketplace?
Are you taking stands for social justice? Does your company reject materials, systems, and methods that pose a risk to the environment?
If your company values align with those of the applicants, the candidates might be more inclined to stick around rather than look for another suitor. But you have to make sure that you highlight your company’s values throughout the interview process.
Keep the Interview Process to a Minimum
You can also discourage potential new employees by stretching their interview process farther than the applicants feel necessary. For example, if Bob and Carol typically interview candidates together and have the last word on new hires, stick to that routine.
Don’t force a candidate to suffer through a nerve-wracking interview with Bob, only to be told that he’ll have to return at a later date and interview with Carol because she’s not available today.
How to Deal With Candidate Ghosting Once it Happens
Create a standby list
Make a standby list of 1-3 people who are interested in the role and are available. You’ll always have a backup candidate if you do it this way. While it may appear that you are over-communicating information, it is advisable to notify them that while they did not receive the position, they will be contacted of the position if something changes (such as if your first candidate cancels).
Craft Messages That Encourage a Response
Maintain candidate interest after the interview using pleasant, convincing, and specific follow-up correspondence. Personalize messages by expressing what you love about the candidate’s skill set and how they’d be an useful addition to your team, for example. End messages with details regarding next steps, such as “I’d want to schedule a follow-up meeting for later this week to discuss the job offer and a possible start date,” or “I’d like to schedule a follow-up meeting for later this week to discuss, or “can you share where you’re at with your other interviews”, or “how do you feel about our opportunity now that you’ve done 2 interviews with us”.
Even if the market is different and there are a lot of applicants, you should still attempt to have a really good process in place so that people leave thinking, “Wow, that was a really fantastic experience.”
How to Overcome Business Challenges With Expert Help
How you deal with the business problem of ghosting can determine where you stand with your competitors. Gain an advantage by hiring staffing experts like nexus IT group.
We know how to recruit qualified candidates so that you can then keep them engaged through the hiring process and minimize ghosting. Contact us today to determine ways we can assist with the particular business challenges facing your company.