Currently, most companies are experiencing a wide array of hiring woes. Employers are stuck battling fierce competition for the best and brightest when it's a candidate's market. Plus, empowered job seekers know that the ball is in their court and will leverage that to their advantage.
In some cases, a candidate’s market also means that job seekers will abandon certain courtesies regarding the hiring process. One example is prospective employees ghosting companies. While initially a dating term that references the act of leaving a romantic partner by abruptly cutting off all communication without warning or notice, the concept has been extended to include the immediate severing of contact with no explanation with anything or anyone, including companies.
While companies may believe that ghosting by prospective employees reflects solely on the job seekers, that isn’t always the case. You can combat the issue directly by understanding the reasoning from a job seeker’s perspective. Here’s a look at how you can deal with prospective employees ghosting.
The main reason why a candidate unceremoniously exits a hiring process is that their initial experience left a poor impression on them. Suppose the company’s interviewing approach isn’t engaging. In that case, there are too many rounds, or the hiring manager’s strategy is overly aggressive, disinterested, or doesn’t draw in job seekers, many candidates will choose to cut off contact to remove themselves from contention.
Similarly, waiting too long to advance candidates to the next stage of the hiring process isn’t going to win your company fans. When the delays are overly long, candidates may assume that you’ve chosen another candidate and move on to other opportunities. Others might start believing the business is disorganized or that it struggles with making decisions, both of which can cause them to ghost.
Ideally, you want to look closely at your hiring process to seize opportunities for refinement. Shortening overall timelines, reducing the number of interview rounds, and training managers to interview effectively can all make a difference, increasing the odds that your approach will leave a positive impression.
Sometimes, candidates aren’t the first party to ghost the other. Instead, job seekers merely take a cue from a company that didn’t keep them adequately updated during the hiring process. Even if the organization reaches out later, if the candidate feels they were ghosted before that point, they likely won’t reengage.
Fortunately, this issue is simple to address. By increasing communication, candidates will feel that the company is doing its part, which leaves a better impression. Ideally, you want to connect regularly, personalizing each communication. Additionally, be transparent about the timeline, as that can set expectations early on, reducing the odds of candidate disappointment.
Another issue that can cause a prospective employee to ghost a company is a job offer that falls far below their expectations. A clear lowball offer is viewed as disrespectful. Plus, it can make a job seeker believe the company is out of touch with salary norms, which works against you.
While some candidates may choose to negotiate if a low offer leaves them assuming they can’t get on the same page with the company, others may decide to walk away without saying a word. That’s why offering fair compensation upfront is essential.
Ultimately, these changes can reduce the odds that a candidate will ghost your company during the hiring process. SimpleVMS provides the two-way communication you need for prompt approval notifications and candidate intake between client and supplier. Schedule a no-obligation demo with SimpleVMS today to learn how we streamline your process to make sure you aren't losing quality candidates.