Ghosting – a new phenomenon?

Ghosting – a new phenomenon?

No, we’re not talking about throwing a sheet over your head and cutting two eye holes in it; Halloween is over for this year! But sadly, the nightmare rumbles on with ghosting in the recruitment world and it seems to be on the rise.

What is ghosting?

Well, in the dating world, it became a common phrase to use when someone, for seemingly no reason at all, ceases to communicate following what may well have been a series of positive interactions. It can leave the ghostee feeling hurt, angry, upset and confused. Sadly, it seems this can now be said for recruiter/candidate/client interactions, and it happens on both sides – no one is an ‘innocent party’ here!

Be honest, have you ever just cut someone off because they were annoying you, and because you could? Think back to the days of cold calling and answering the phone to a double-glazing salesperson – there’s hardly anyone who could say they’ve never put the phone down on one of those! So, we’re clear, there is no good guy or bad guy here – none of us like ghosting, but we are all as susceptible to becoming victims of it as each other.

So, what can we do about it?

Firstly, as we have acknowledged, there has been a culture shift overall whereby it seems to have become begrudgingly accepted as the norm. This has got to stop! It’s not normal, it’s not professional, and just because ‘everybody else does it’ doesn’t mean you have to do it too! Be that change! Don’t ghost because you can. As recruiters, we should be taking steps to ensure candidates are all contacted at regular intervals throughout their recruitment journey. As a candidate, you have a responsibility keep in contact with your recruiter and BE HONEST! The beauty of working with a recruitment agency is that you simply cannot give a wrong answer to your recruiter. We are not the client – you don’t have to impress us, you just have to be totally honest with us, and we’ll be the same!

For candidates, whether you’re a jobseeker applying for a role directly or through an agency, it’s basic manners!

If you go through the application process, secure an interview and then change your mind, say so! Be honest about your reasons – perhaps you’ve had a change in personal circumstances, your current employer has made changes and you no longer wish to move, you’ve had an internal promotion, whatever it is, just say! You never know when you may want or need to cross that bridge again in the future, and if you’ve burnt it, well, you’re going to struggle aren’t you?

Have you accepted a role, but then had a counter-offer from your current employer – who’s suddenly realised your worth and must ensure you stay?! Take a second to breathe, think about it, and weigh up both offers before making a decision. Keep your recruiter informed of what’s happened; any decent recruiter should have discussed with you the potential scenarios around counter offers before this point anyway, so there’s nothing to hide. Communicate, even if that’s just an email to acknowledge the offer and ask for a day or two to think. Should you decide to plump for the original employer, that’s fine, but just make sure you explain and thank the prospective employer for their time and interest – again, it’s just polite isn’t it?

Clients, in the same vein, communicate with your recruiter! Discuss your concerns, the things you liked about the candidate, whatever queries you may have, literally anything, just ask! We are your intermediary! Highlight areas you want more information on, and your recruiter can do the leg work to understand more about the candidate as you take them further along the recruitment process. If things change within your organisation and there is a change in the role requirements, budgets, business need, again, let the recruiter know, and keep them abreast of the plans. Your recruiter can help to manage your external company reputation, so it is vital you keep them in the loop!

For recruiters, it’s about utilising your tech tools to ensure the candidate journey is a positive one. We understand it can be challenging when you’re working on eleventy-billion tasks all at once, but if we as recruiters want to expect a level of communication from candidates, we must be committed to delivering that same level too, or nothing will change! Got a CRM system? Utilise automation to ensure candidates get updates as their application progresses with just the tap of a button. Use an Applicant Tracking System to manage all responses so no applicant is ever left uncontacted, even if they’re unsuccessful. Keeping candidates engaged throughout their recruitment journey will ensure you build a stronger relationship with them, in turn leading to increased loyalty, better return communication and longer term, repeat business when candidates become clients!

Ghosting; just don’t do it!