Candidate experience should be more like a rom-com, not a horror!
The term ghosting first gained traction in relationships and friendship groups, but it’s now found its way into the business world.
What is ghosting in recruitment?
Like the world of dating, ghosting is where you suddenly cut all communication. Some may think this applies to the candidate failing to respond to messages or not showing up for interviews, but like most things – it works both ways!
A recent study found that 75% of job seekers have been ghosted by a company following a job interview. Failing to give a response following an interview not only gives a bad impression of your company, but it can also leave candidates feeling humiliated and defeated.
Employer branding – don’t make a boo boo
If candidates have received a negative experience, then there’s nothing stopping them from sharing that experience.
Word of mouth is a very powerful tool when it comes to your employer brand, and as we know, news travels fast! Ghosted candidates may even take their frustration to employer review sites, such as Glassdoor, leaving a lasting impression for all job seekers to see.
Reading negative reviews or hearing from family and friends is enough to put someone off considering you as a future employer. Your perfect employee could be out there but has already assumed that you’re not right for them based on how you treated someone else.
Another thing to consider is why that candidate wasn’t right for the role, is it that they need more experience? After leaving a bad impression, it’s likely that they won’t consider applying for roles with you in the future. They may not be right now, but in a few years’ time, they could have been perfect for another role.
Spooktacular ideas to avoid ghosting
- Sort out your diary. There’s no point in making a mental note to get back to someone, you need to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard! Try setting aside time in your calendar to get back to candidates, by doing this you’re assigning a break in your normal workload and hopefully the desktop reminder won’t get ignored.
- Look at your values. What do your company values and culture say about you? If you’re making a point of promising to be responsive to customers, then why can’t you extend the same courtesy to your employees and candidates?
- Try automating. Many recruitment companies like ourselves use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which helps to track the candidate’s journey. These systems have triggers and processes set up to help with feedback and keep candidates informed at various stages to avoid ghosting. You could replicate elements of this system by creating some email templates to help keep in touch with candidates. This would certainly save you time and the added pressure of thinking about what you need to say. It’s important to note – you don’t want to sound like a robot, so don’t just send templates, be sure to personalise with names and add genuine comments when giving feedback.
- Outsource your recruitment. One of the main reasons for ghosting is the lack of time and resources in the team to manage the hiring process. If you’re a small business and you don’t have a dedicated recruitment team in-house, you should consider outsourced recruitment. It’s a fraction of the cost of high agency fees, manages the process for you, means you can focus on doing what you do best and enhances your employer brand.