A new term is on the rise thanks to social media and online dating, it’s called Ghosting. So, what is Ghosting?  Ghosting is when you have been talking to someone or have been out with them and they suddenly disappear for no reason.  When I learnt about Ghosting I had a little chuckle to myself thinking about all the recruiters I have met during my career who have been ghosting their candidates for years.

To prove my point about recruiters ghosting candidates, I took to Social Media and set up polls on 3 Job Seeker pages.  I asked a very simple question: “During your job search have you sent your resume to a recruiter or employer or been for an interview and never heard back from the recruiter or the company?”.  After 10 hours of my polls being live I received 521 responses, only 11 people said that they had not experienced Ghosting during the recruitment process.  That is a staggering 2.15%.  I had a feeling that the number of people who had experienced Ghosting would be high, but I never imagined it would be that high.

So how do we stop Ghosting during the recruitment process?  Get back to candidates!  It sounds easy doesn’t it?  It is easy we just need to make the time for it.  A manager told me once “the candidate gets the hint when they don’t hear from us after a week or two” and this can be the general attitude within recruitment companies.  Best practice would suggest, once you have received a candidate resume and they were not successful in progressing to a phone interview, send them an email advising them of this. If the candidate had an interview whether it be by phone or a face to face interview they deserve a phone call to let them know that they have been unsuccessful and why.

Yes, it can be difficult to have a conversation with an unsuccessful candidate but at the end of the day it is only a couple of minutes and it can make a world of difference to the candidate and how they prepare for their next interview. By ensuring that you contact all unsuccessful candidates it will not only set you apart from your competition but candidates who weren’t successful are more likely to recommend you and your business to their friends and colleagues which will help you find the best talent for your business.

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