If your company hasn’t been ghosted by a candidate lately, you are lucky. Ghosting is the process of cutting off communication with an employer at some point during a job process that is seemingly going well. But it isn’t just the job candidates doing the ghosting.
It seems that both employers and candidates are ghosting each other. One study showed 75% of candidates have been ghosted by an employer. Close to 30% of candidates do it, as well. As an employer, you can control ghosting candidates on your end. But how can you deal with applicants who ghost you during the hiring process? We have answers.
Can Employers Stop Candidate Ghosting?
Ghosting is the height of rudeness. To cut all communications with a recruiter after they’ve spent so much time representing you is disheartening. It’s just as frustrating for the employer, who wasted valuable time on organizing interviews, reviewing references, and more. What can employers do to fix things? Some suggestions include:
- Be transparent during the interview process.
Setting expectations with the candidate at each step in the interview process. Try to make the interview steps as transparent to the candidate as you can. Keep candidates in the loop by letting them know what to expect. The data tells us that 64% of job candidates who experience this level of transparency say they have a more favorable impression of your company even if they don’t wind up getting the job. - Communicate frequently and well.
Follow up with candidates in the channels they frequent. Does your candidate respond well to texting or phone, email, or social? You have many communication channels open. Keep them open and use them well. Don’t let more than a few days go by without reaching out to job candidates. You can automate much of this work to lessen the communication burden. For example, your applicant tracking system (ATS) should be able to automate an email that goes out to candidates right after they apply. - Improve the candidate experience.
Make the interview process friendly and warm. Most candidates, and even interviewers, find traditional interviewing stressful. These interviews can be intense, where the employer grills the candidate, peppering them with questions. Instead, try to have open, genuine conversations where you truly get to understand the goals of the candidate and not just their skills. Each interview can build the brand of your organization and create positive ties to a network of candidates. Once you develop these ties, it’s much harder for the candidate to want to break them by rudely ghosting you. Build a better relationship with every candidate to ensure that they care enough to respond to your call.
Want to Find the Best Candidates to Join Your Organization?
At People Plus, we specialize in building a better candidate relationship on your behalf. We are a full-cycle recruiting firm, handling sourcing, screening, negotiation, and offers to candidates. During this process, we work hard to build the kind of candidate experience that makes it much tougher for a candidate to just walk away. Find out how our experienced team can help you meet your hiring goals.
