How to avoid “ghosting” in recruitment and improve the hiring process

Written by Emily Gent | 4th February 2022

When a recruiter or hiring manager doesn’t respond to an applicant after an interview or an initial contact, the individual may say they were “ghosted”.

You probably recognise the term, usually used when a relationship ends without any explanation, but nowadays, “ghosting” is trending in recruitment as well.

Almost two thirds (65%) of UK adults have been ghosted during the recruitment process, according to HR Magazine, negatively impacting candidate experience and employer brand.

Why does ghosting happen?

Ghosting candidates should not be an intentional part of your recruitment process, but sometimes keeping up contact with candidates can slip through the net.

Businesses when recruiting are often inundated with CV’s and might find it difficult to handle the high volume of applications that come through, especially when it’s hundreds per job role. This means contacting every rejected employee is probably low on their list of priorities.

Managers may also not have a real reason for rejection, especially when they are trying to shortlist the top candidates from a high-quality group of them, so in the end choose not to follow up at all. Or recruiters may rely on the job ad’s information that they’re going to contact only chosen candidates.

Of course, ghosting happens both ways. Many hiring managers have likely experienced setting aside time to meet with a candidate that does not show up for an interview, or return calls on more than one occasion.

How to avoid ghosting when recruiting

Don’t abandon the recruitment process once you find a perfect match. Make sure that you follow the interview process through and ensure every candidate receives acknowledgement of their application.

Give feedback promptly

This seems like the obvious solution to ghosting, but it’s very important to let rejected candidates know why they might not be getting the job.

Not only for the wellbeing of the candidate, but also for your business. This helps improve how the candidate sees your company, and it can go a long way to building a positive employer brand, especially on social media.

Because of this, it’s a good idea to contact candidates as early in the hiring process as possible. It’s fine to do this via email, LinkedIn message, or phone call. Reach out as soon as you’ve determined that the applicant is not a good fit for the position.

If you have already held an interview, it’s best to let them know they were not successful with a phone call.

Positive communication

When letting a candidate know they were not successful, be professional, kind and respectful. You don’t have to use the word rejected. Instead, you could say that the team has decided not to further their application on this occasion.

Remember to avoid words that could be misconstrued – this could be seen as discrimination. Try to avoid saying that you are searching for more qualified applicants.

Be transparent about the process and set realistic expectations

To job seekers it may seem like the employment process is kept slightly under wraps. They might submit an application online via your website, or platform like Indeed, then sit in wait because they’ve not been told when the next communication is coming – and where it is coming from.

Try to explain the steps it takes in the hiring process in your job advert, for example, when they can expect to hear back from you. Specify a date after which, the candidate could follow up to check the status. If you’re concerned about candidates calling or emailing too early in the process, this should help that.

Keep a network of candidates

Just because a candidate isn’t a good fit for your current job vacancy, doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future. Especially in the current job market where there are more vacancies than people looking for work, it would be a good idea to keep in touch with the candidates you don’t hire, so you don’t miss out on people that may still be a good fit in your business.

Outsource your recruitment process

If you struggle to stay on top of communication when hiring staff, you may find it beneficial to outsource some or all of your recruitment process. A recruitment specialist can screen CVs, interview candidates, and help you maintain your reputation, free from employee ghosting mishaps.

Download our recruitment and retention guide for tips and advice on how to supercharge your recruitment process.

At Reality HR, we can support you with recruitment, taking care of the whole process, or the parts where you need the most support – from developing job specifications to conducting interviews, onboarding the successful candidates and beyond. Just get in touch with our team for more details.

Above all, your hiring process is a reflection on your company culture, and ghosting can be dangerous for your brand. Clear communication at every stage of the hiring process can improve your rate of accepted offers and improve employee retention.