The Unspoken Cost of Ghosting Candidates

I would like to give a shout-out to recruiters out there. This is not a good shoutout, but more of a warning. Now, I get that we are busy and that it is hard to close the loop with everybody, but let’s put things in perspective. The candidates applying for the jobs you post put in time and energy to apply. The least that they deserve is a quick note that you went a different direction.

For decades, this “ghosting” practice has annoyed me to no end. It is unprofessional, selfish, and unacceptable. With the technology that we have in place today, these things should be automated and applicant tracking systems (ATSs) should send notes out for you. If they don’t, then send a quick email note, even if it is canned, so that candidates know that they did not get the job.

Recruiters forget that they need candidates every day for jobs that they post. When they ghost someone, that candidate is unlikely to give them another chance and worse, may even bad mouth the company. As a company owner, I can tell you that this is not the reputation that any of us want.

I could spend a week recommending different solutions to communicate this information, but this is a short blog. I would encourage recruiters and for that matter, hiring managers, to create a short, canned message, and email out to the candidates who were passed over.

The one exception to this in my book is when someone applies who is completely unqualified and obviously did not read the job posting. In this case, they are often wasting our time and for many, this is a tactic to show that they applied for a job which continues their eligibility for unemployment benefits.

As a theme, think of candidates as your customers and serve them accordingly. Treat them with respect, and they will reciprocate. If they don’t, then you can disassociate. The more friends that you make, the more referrals that you will get and the easier your job will be.

Hopefully, I have made a strong argument, but if I have not, then here is my closing argument. People deserve to be treated with respect. I know that we are not always respected in return, but we cannot control that. We should focus on what we can control, and that is our actions.

Try this, and it will serve you well. At the end of the day, all that we really have is our reputation, and I want mine to be positive.