How can ghosting hurt your hiring process?

“Ghosting isn’t limited to the early stages of the hiring process and can persist as the stakes get higher. Many candidates are willing to wait an extended period for a response, giving employers ample opportunity to maintain communication and manage expectations,” the report read.

Communication is critical

The findings underscore that communication is critical during the recruitment process to avoid leaving a negative impression on job candidates, who can assume the worst about an organisation when left in the dark.

According to the report, candidates believe that employer ghosting is usually intentional, and not the result of recruitment challenges, such as high volume of applications.

More than half (57%) believe employers just stop communicating after choosing another candidate. A third (33%) also think communication stops when employers decide a candidate isn’t the right fit but want to avoid formally rejecting them.

Only 15% believe ghosting happens because of overwhelmed recruiters, with 18% saying ghosting happens because the hiring process was disorganised.