Sometimes, after you interview a candidate, everything may seem perfect. They meet all your qualifications and have the perfect personality for your company culture—they’re the perfect fit. But then, they go radio silent when you try following up. This is frustrating and confusing for any employer, so read on to learn how to deal with job candidates ghosting you.
Why Do Applicants Ghost?
A part of resolving the issue is understanding why it happened to begin with. And while there is no overarching answer to this question, we do have a few common possibilities for you listed below:
- They accepted a different offer
- They weren’t happy with the interview
- Your organization didn’t meet their needs
- The interview/hiring process wasn’t worth the wait
Noting these reasons allows you to look inward and see if there is a problem you need to resolve with your company. Did you say the review process would go several weeks faster than it did? Was the offered pay realistic for their skill level? Candidates may choose to ghost you if they feel undervalued.
Dealing With It: Reach Out to Them
Some job candidates may forget to call back, or your email could go to spam. And emergency situations can arise, preventing them from responding as soon as you’d hoped. Most experts recommend waiting around five business days for a response because other life circumstances or situations could prevent them from promptly returning the call.
Initially, give them the benefit of the doubt and try reaching out a second time. If you originally sent an email, try calling instead to follow up. This also allows you to clarify whether there was a miscommunication. Sometimes, the issue is our technology fails to do its job.
Dealing With It: Note Ghost Candidates
If they don’t respond after the second time, make a note of this for the future. The working world is smaller than many think, and connections are everywhere. If this candidate reaches out for future employment, it’s probably best to skip their resume because they ignored your callbacks in the past.
Pro Tip
Why is recording ghosting candidates important? Because ghosting shows a lack of proper communication skills, and you don’t want to add those individuals to your team.
Preventing Ghosting: Review Your Processes
When job candidates ghost you, the final thing to do is prevent a repeat incident with future applicants. Verify that you list as much information as possible on job descriptions so applicants can gather an understanding of the position and your company. Also, keep your word when giving an estimate on callback time. If you expect things to take longer, call the candidate to keep them in the loop.
Work With an Employment Agency
Burnett’s Staffing is a staff recruitment agency that’ll handle the employment process for you! Our experts strive to find the top individuals based on your company culture so you always have the most talented fit for new positions. We’ll handle the interview, background check, and more. Work with an agency that’ll help you build the ideal team.