3 Strategies to Avoid Being Ghosted by Candidates
It's a pretty amazing feeling when you find the right candidate to fill a role, particularly if it’s an in-demand skill set, like software development. Employers spend a lot of time, resources and money searching for great candidates, which is not always easy these days. When you do find the right candidate and the hiring manager gives the go-ahead to make a sweet offer, it feels pretty dang good. Even better when the candidate is actually really interested in the job and quickly accepts the offer. This sounds like a slam dunk and your team should be counting another ‘W’ on the recruiting board, right? Maybe, maybe not. You might want to wait to celebrate until the candidate actually walks through the door on their first day.
A few weeks ago, Stackrock Talent’s Talent Advisor, Alisa Bondurant, shared how employer ghosting impacts the candidates, but what about the reverse: the effect of candidates ghosting employers?
“Ghosting” is simply the sudden absence of communication. Employers have seen an increase in candidate interview no-shows and new hires not showing up on their first day. No notice, no call. Seriously, this is just bad manners. So, why do they do it? There are likely several reasons, but typically it boils down to being in a candidate-driven market where they have choices. Candidates are often interviewing for multiple jobs at the same time. When they get a better offer, after they’ve accepted your offer, they aren’t bothering to tell you. They just don’t show up.
While ghosting has traditionally been something employers have been guilty of, it's now being done by job seekers. The unemployment rate is at a 50 year low and job seeker confidence is high. According to a 2019 Indeed study, “[Candidate] Ghosting is new, but 83% of employers have already experienced it.”
Being ghosted by a candidate is kind of like being ghosted by a love interest. It leads you to question your efforts and wonder where you went wrong. It doesn’t feel good when you are on the receiving end. While there is no perfect solution to stop candidate ghosting, there are some specific strategies employers can apply today to keep candidates engaged through the hiring process.
Communicate and then communicate some more
You HAVE to stay in regular communication with your candidate through the entire application process. You should be building a relationship with them from the very beginning and regularly keep them up to date through to their first day. While email is great for detailed instructions or information, text is best for short connections through the recruiting and hiring process. Making sure the hiring manager calls or texts them the day before their first day is a good way to make that last connection count.
Make your application process quick and easy
If your application process is outdated, complicated or annoying for the candidate you should highly consider revamping it. If the word ‘fax’ or ‘paper’ is mentioned at any point it’s time to enter into 2020. Conduct a quick candidate experience audit and ask recent hires about their experience. Better yet, go through the application process yourself to get a real-time feel of how the process flows. Make sure all onboarding forms can be accessed and filled out electronically and that the process is streamlined and intuitive. Don’t give the candidate any reason to get frustrated, forget the whole application altogether and go to the competition.
From start to finish, it is ALL about your employer brand
Your employer brand – your reputation as an employer as perceived by candidates externally and employees internally – will ultimately be the driving force to prevent ghosting from occurring to you. Every touchpoint with a candidate is an opportunity (or missed opportunity) to shape their impression of you, while simultaneously influencing your ability to attract and hire great talent. Keep that impression positive and you will be sure to keep ghosting a thing of the past. You can find more about improving your candidate experience here.
Want to know more about improving your candidate experience or auditing your talent brand? Contact Stackrock Talent Founder & Talent Strategist Cammas Freeman at cammas@stackrocktalent.com.
