Boo! The Scary Reality of Employee Ghosting

What is employee ghosting?

Employee ghosting occurs when a job seeker or employee suddenly stops communicating with the organization without explanation or warning. Similar to the unfortunately common practice of ghosting in personal or romantic relationships, an individual stops engaging and goes missing in action. 

In the recruitment process, ghosting commonly occurs in the following periods: 

• After initial digital communication 
• After a phone screening
• During or after a series of job interviews
• After receiving a job offer 

Unfortunately, employers aren’t in the clear even if a candidate signs an offer letter and starts working. A Visier survey found that more applicants and new hires are ghosting companies during the late stages of hiring and onboarding, with 31 percent admitting they would even ghost an employer after their first day on the job. Perhaps more unsettling, the Thriving Center of Psychology survey found that one in four employees admitted to quitting a job without notice or explanation to their employer. Poof — talent vanished.

Why are job seekers and employees ghosting employers?

The motivations behind employee ghosting vary widely by situation and individual and may remain a mystery. However, according to an Indeed survey, applicants and employees may ghost potential and current employers for the following reasons: 

• The job wasn’t a good fit.
• The company wasn’t an appropriate fit.
• The salary or employee compensation package was insufficient.
• The employee benefits package was unimpressive.
• The candidate or employee received a better job offer.

Still, while these reasons may be valid, they don’t explain why candidates and employees disappear into thin air instead of giving employers the courtesy of a breakup email or conversation. Some possible explanations may be:

• Communication discomfort: Many people are uncomfortable with confrontation and may not know how to tell an employer they changed their mind. Ghosting can feel like the easier option. 
• Frustrations with the recruitment process: The Indeed survey found that 23 percent of respondents cited communication issues with recruiters as a reason for ghosting a potential employer. Delays during the recruitment and interview process, combined with disorganized or unresponsive hiring practices, can frustrate job candidates, causing them to walk away.
• An uncomfortable candidate experience: Unprofessional behavior by hiring managers could cause candidates to walk away from the process. 
• Personal issues: A candidate may be experiencing a period of high stress and anxiety as they search for work, leading to feelings of overwhelm that cause them to stop communicating.  

According to Indeed, ghosting potential and current employers may even be perceived as an acceptable solution. Its survey revealed that 70 percent of respondents felt ghosting an employer was “fair,” and 23 percent felt empowered by the practice — with 62 percent saying they expected to ghost an employer in the future. 

How can you avoid being ghosted by job seekers and employees?  

Recruiting and onboarding a new employee is expensive and the stakes are high: One bad hire can cost your business 30 percent of the employee’s first-year earnings or more. To ensure you don’t get ghosted, spend your time and efforts wisely to recruit the right people and provide enticing opportunities to keep them engaged. Consider the following 10 best practices for avoiding employee ghosting.

1. Maintain a positive business reputation.

Your brand and reputation play a crucial role in your organization’s success. Positive and negative impressions of your business reach customers, prospects, clients, employees and job seekers alike, so do everything in your power to ensure your reputation is stellar. 

“I can’t stress how important employer branding is — not just on websites like Glassdoor, but what do former employees think about the company and culture,” said Justin Marcus, co-founder and CEO of Big 4 Talent. “This starts with being good people in general and wanting what is in the employees’ best interests.”

As job seekers go through your recruitment process, they are bound to read online comments about your business. Focus on building a positive online reputation, responding to online reviews and committing to remedying your organization’s shortcomings. People want to work for good companies that do good things.

“Make sure your company brand is in top shape,” Marcus advised. “Candidates pay attention to Glassdoor and other employer review sites and sometimes don’t feel comfortable confronting bad reviews.”

Sarah Doughty, vice president of talent operations at TalentLab, a technical recruiting agency, emphasized the importance of building a positive reputation by treating candidates with respect throughout the recruitment process. 

“Demonstrating respect for everyone’s time, including the candidates, is crucial for minimizing ghosting,” Doughty noted. “This includes notifying candidates of any delays, thanking them for their time after interviews and providing regular status updates. When candidates feel their time is valued, they’re more likely to stay engaged throughout the process.”

2. Build an undeniable company culture with great leaders.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “People leave managers, not companies.” LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence survey found that nearly seven in 10 workers would quit because of a bad manager. This trend is highest in millennials (77 percent) and Gen Z workers (75 percent). 

A strong company culture with a team of true leaders is critical to managing employees effectively and attracting and retaining top talent. Ensure your culture is diverse, equitable and inclusive and that your leadership team shares the organization’s values. With such a positive environment, your current employees will soon become advocates for your organization. That can be enough to prevent potential new hires from pulling a Harry Houdini — and encourage talented job seekers to join your organization instead of the competition.

3. Write clear and accurate job descriptions.

Job seekers may ghost employers because the role wasn’t what they expected. To prevent this misalignment, ensure your job descriptions are complete and accurate and include a clear explanation of the company and job title. Descriptions should also include specifics about the position’s roles and responsibilities, required qualifications, perks and benefits, compensation and an unmissable call to action.

4. Offer competitive salaries and employee benefits.

Ensure the job offer is worthy of top applicants. Start by conducting a competitor analysis to determine the average compensation for similar open roles. Consider and set the following elements of your employee compensation package carefully: 

• Salary
• Equity and bonuses
• Employee benefits, such as affordable health insurance
• Mental health support
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development opportunities
• Financial services

A candidate is less likely to ghost you if you offer a desirable, tailored package that thoughtfully addresses their needs and shows how much you value them. 

5. Be transparent about the job offering. 

Business transparency is a critical element of trust in the hiring process. It’s essential to be open and honest with job applicants about compensation, benefits, company culture and the scope of the role. Job seekers don’t want to be misled and they are more likely to quit if they feel deceived.

“If candidates sense a bait-and-switch, they’re likely to exit the process and ignore further communication,” cautioned Doughty. “Be upfront about salary and avoid making significant changes to the role or job title during the interview process.” 

6. Recruit quickly and efficiently.

Highly skilled job seekers are likely considering several opportunities and won’t stay on the market long. Move them seamlessly through your hiring process by responding quickly and scheduling phone screenings and interviews as soon as possible. 

“Try to stick to the originally scheduled interview timeline and interviewers,” Marcus recommended. “We have seen dozens of times where great candidates lose interest due to employers wanting one more round or taking too long to move to the next round.” 

While you must effectively vet candidates, try to avoid lengthy and frustrating recruitment processes that take months on end. Otherwise, your top candidate may disappear along the way.

“Avoid unnecessary steps that don’t contribute to assessing fit or requiring irrelevant technical evaluations,” Doughty advised. “Candidates may drop out if they feel overwhelmed by a lengthy and unfocused process.”

7. Build personal connections with candidates and new hires.

People tend to gravitate toward individuals and organizations with which they feel a shared personal connection. If you’re excited about a candidate or new employee, make it known. Try to build an authentic relationship with them as early on as possible. People are more likely to stick around if they feel wanted, connected and included. 

“The more hoops you put a person through without bringing in the human touch, the higher the probability of ghosting,” warned Shane Bernstein, CEO of AI-driven outbound recruitment software-as-a-service offering Rolebot.

To connect with candidates during the recruitment process better, consider removing unnecessary automated prescreenings or, at the very least, have candidates engage with a person before these screenings take place. Once a candidate is hired, continue building connections by creating a welcome committee, assigning peer mentors and implementing an effective onboarding process.

8. Train your staff on recruitment best practices. 

Recruiters, hiring managers and employees involved in the hiring process must be trained and knowledgeable about recruitment best practices, such as standardized interview processes, active listening techniques and structured assessments. Consider hosting a training workshop to update hiring teams on recruitment protocols, proper hiring steps, interview etiquette and more.

“A negative interview experience is one of the most common reasons candidates disengage,” Doughty noted. “Providing training on how to build rapport and create positive interview experiences can make a significant difference.”

9. Be direct and consistent with your communication.

Communication is a critical component of any business. If you want to attract great communicators, your recruitment process must reflect that by keeping direct and consistent lines of communication open with candidates as they move through your pipeline. 

“The more communicative [and thorough] expectations that are put in place from the company side when working with a candidate, the better,” Bernstein advised. “When it’s inconsistent, there are holes in the process and not everyone follows the playbook, these mishaps occur — and the second a candidate feels the company isn’t serious, they won’t be either.” 

10. Don’t ghost candidates.

Ghosting has been an unfortunate part of the recruitment experience for a long time, but it used to be that employers were the primary culprits. Now that you know how awful it is to be on the other end, that’s all the more reason to stop engaging in ghosting yourself. We know it can be challenging to respond to every candidate throughout the recruitment process, but it’s always a good idea to reply, even if it’s simply to say, “We’re pursuing other applicants.” This helps stop the cycle of ghosting and it’s a good way to earn goodwill and a positive reputation for communication. 

“Whether you hire that person or pass on someone, the process should be classy, respectful and the loop should always be closed so that everybody knows where they stand at all times,” Bernstein emphasized. “That’s what the talent pool at large expects, as they should.”

What should you do when an employee ghosts you? 

Ghosting is rude and hurts, but it happens — sometimes unintentionally. If a desirable candidate stops responding to you, you can first give them the benefit of the doubt by following up.

“[You] can try two methods of outreach to get their attention and if there are no responses within a few days, generally it means [you] should just move on to other candidates,” Marcus recommended. “Don’t try to continue to reach out to them — if they were interested, they would let you know.”

It’s hard not to take it personally when someone seems interested in you and then suddenly disappears, but perhaps it’s for the best. If a candidate ghosts you, they’re displaying traits you probably don’t want in a team member anyway. Cut ties and move on. Continue with your recruitment process so you can find the best employees for your organization.

“If it’s legit ghosting, then my take is you’re better off,” said Bernstein. “You don’t want to hire someone that does those things. If they do it to you during the interview process, then they could do it again to your colleagues, your customers, etc.”

However, if you notice that a significant number of potential and new employees are leaving you high and dry, it may be time to reassess your recruitment strategy and company culture. 

“Being frequently ghosted by candidates during the interview process is a strong indicator of a dysfunctional recruitment system,” Doughty cautioned. “Most candidates are hesitant to burn bridges unnecessarily, so if ghosting is a common occurrence, leadership should take immediate action to reflect on and audit their recruitment practices.”