Before anything else, have you ever heard of the term “ghosting” in general? Well, ghosting, in a nutshell, is basically not showing up and disappearing into the thin air without a trace. The term was mostly used in online dating, wherein the person goes on a single date, initiated contact, promised you will talk again very soon but suddenly you never hear from them again and it’s like they disappeared from the face of the earth. It’s kind of funny, but the occurrence has already escalated to the scale where the actual business industry operates. If you would incorporate the idea of how ghosting works in terms of dating and use it a basis for understanding the predicament at hand then you will be able to understand job ghosting better.
Job ghosting in business and human resources terms is when the candidate goes through the screening process and even reaches around the interview stage, but when the designated interview day comes the candidate suddenly bails out and disappears without any prior notice. Another scenario or example of job ghosting is when the candidate has passed the interview phase and an agreement has already been established for the starting date for the job, but when the first day comes, the candidate does not attend and just disappear.
This fearful occurrence has been escalating throughout the years in different industries. Whether a multi-billionaire or even a start-up company It destroys the image of the candidate to the recruiting establishment and shows them the lack of professionalism on the ghosting candidates’ side. It becomes a waste of time for the recruiting officer who has invested a lot of time in sorting the papers and filtering out a ginormous load of different resumes and applicants that were applying for the job. The downside of the matter is that the recruiting officer must repeat this strenuous task again hoping this time the candidate would not ghost the hiring company. A good hiring manager would not let this nightmare just end without a fight, the hiring manager should step back to their feet and make amends by finding a better candidate to fill the opportunity the candidate has missed. Hiring managers most likely have encountered this problem already and should never be a reason for them to doubt themselves. It’s not in any way their fault but the person who had the nerve to ghost out on the opportunity that was being handed to them.
If you would think about it, the person who just ghosted took away the opportunity for some other deserving candidates who will actually be a better fit for the job. Since the job-ghosting occurrence as we know is a nightmare candidate for any recruiter or establishment it becomes a very essential matter to understand the matter and learn a way to mitigate this nightmare of a mess.
Here are a few tips to decrease the chances of the nightmare candidate from ghosting on opportunities being handed to them:
Be Respectful
Showing that the hiring establishment or recruiter has respect for the candidate minimizes the chances of them ghosting on the opportunity being given to them. When you learn to respect the candidate in the right way, they will retaliate and reciprocate your actions the same. The old saying respect begets respect applies in this kind of situation.
The competitive business practices and search for a great candidate in the industry have made recruiting a very arduous tasks for recruiters and hiring establishments everywhere. Do take note though that even if it a stressful job, always remember that the candidates you are trying to recruit or hire are also human. Most recruiters mistakenly or even unknowingly treat potential candidates like they are a mode of a commodity rather than a person who has feelings. Being respectful to your clientele or candidates will surely create a perfect environment to transact and talk about business.
“When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be.” – Thomas S. Monson
Be Transparent or Honest as Possible
With modern technology, we have today it is apparent that it has already paved its way even to the human resources industry. The screening process and relaying information to potential candidates has never been easier for recruiters and hiring companies around the world. Candidates are just a phone call away or even available for messaging in global business platforms via Linkedin and even Facebook. The downside of the new technology though is how it opened up the opportunity for the ghosting nightmare candidate to even prosper and expand their reach.
What recruiters and hiring establishments must do to mitigate the nightmare ghost candidate is actually being true and honest to them as possible. The thought behind this is that the candidate will be able to see that the opportunity being offered is the real deal. There are different organizations that have the same job name, description and even benefits to offer but the mindset of the candidate is that it may be too good to be true so they invest their time finding which one would be best and authentic. You could not blame the candidate themselves because it is true that there a lot of incidents occurring where fraud and overexaggerating is used to attract candidates for a certain job application.
Showing transparency will help the candidate be more interested in what the company has to offer and be able to communicate with the recruiter better as well. Candidates will be able to trust you with their information and share their ideas with you if they truly are interested in the opportunity you are asking them for. If the recruiter or hiring establishment does not show transparency and honesty to their potential candidates, how do they expect them to return the favor?
“We live in a culture of secrecy, where hiding and lying are accepted as natural, even though we don’t like it. We want honesty, transparency, and authenticity in our loved ones, our groups, and organizations, and in our own self so we can reach the heights of our capacity. By clinging to the opaque reality, we stall our evolution.” – Penney Peirce, Transparency: Seeing Through to Our Expanded Human Capacity
Cut Your Losses
Believe it or not the disappointing nightmare candidate and the job ghosting occurrence has been prevailing more and more frequently that it came to the point that hiring managers have been able to see it as a normal event and not that of a surprise anymore. The best thing to do is cut your losses and simply learn to adapt.
When push comes to shove good recruiters must learn to let it go and find a better candidate for the position. Also, recruiters and employers must take into consideration that the ghosting occurrence indicates a behavioral pattern of the candidate. It is already a sign that this candidate might actually be more leaning towards the liability side of the organization rather than a favorable asset to the company. So just take it all in and just think of it as a blessing in disguise. Move on and aim to find a better match for the organization.
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
