LinkedIn recently published an article about companies being driven crazy by candidates abruptly cutting off contact and being unobtainable. Where once it was companies ignoring job applicants, the tables seemed to have turned. Employers are increasingly reporting cases of people not turning up to interviews, or even after accepting a job not turning up on the first day. Then when they try to reach them, it is as if they have disappeared or never existed.
At Dakota Blue we have been assisting our clients with their recruiting process and have ourselves recently been recruiting, and I have been surprised not just at the difficulty in finding a candidate but at stories of candidates vanishing and the difficulties in reaching some. They have said it isn’t just people arranging interviews and not turning up but candidates that have gone through the full process and have seemed genuinely enthusiastic towards a role and then suddenly they stop contact and don’t return calls or emails.
Why is this happening?
Is it just a case of applicants fed up of being treated badly by organisations, as they themselves may have experienced not being told when they were unsuccessful in an application, so they think it is ok to respond in kind?
In part it could be a result of the UK unemployment being at its lowest in over 40 years. People are finding themselves with multiple job offers and can pick and choose roles. Similarly, in this buoyant job market more people are voluntarily leaving roles. Many of us tend to avoid conflict and it seems rather than having an awkward conversation and formally turning down a position, some people are opting to ghost a company instead.
Another reason is that it isn’t so much out of malice, but it is more a generational difference, whereby younger people view ‘no response as a response’. Perhaps it is because they have less experience in different types of job markets that has led to this behaviour. However, it does come across as unprofessional and it is not only younger people who are ghosting companies.
The rise of online recruitment could also be a factor in the rise of ghosting. The anonymity that online communication allows compared to face-to-face communication can lead to people building more fickle relationships where they feel less committed or engaged.
This rise in ghosting is incredibly frustrating for organisations. Whether it is an individual candidate, or an organisation, ghosting is in stark contrast to professional behaviour. Whilst turning a role or candidate down might seem awkward, having no communication is ultimately rude. It can be extremely damaging to an organisations reputation and brand. Equally for a candidate it can damage their reputation, they may find themselves blacklisted by a company. We never know where our careers may take us, and we could inadvertently be closing the door on ourselves to future opportunities by ghosting companies or candidates.