It may be spooky season, but we all know that ghosting doesn’t just happen in the month of October.
We’ve all been there. We find a candidate that seems like a great fit, and then boom. They disappear.
We can’t always understand exactly why a candidate ghosts. It could be a number of reasons – they found another job, the process took too long, they changed their mind, miscommunication, etc.
As an employer, it’s important to view this as an opportunity and look at the situation from both sides of view. The best option is to move on, but there are key ways to do this in a manner that will be the most successful for you and your business:
Be patient
Patience is a virtue. Especially in ghosting scenarios.
It’s easy to get frustrated or anxious, but remember that candidates may have legitimate reasons for their silence. Give them some time, and don’t rush to make judgments.
Friendly follow-ups
Keep your communication touch points friendly and professional. It’s important to take the hint after a few follow-ups. Give them one last chance to respond and then after that, it’s safe to back off for a little while. Make a note to reach back out in a few months if you think they’d still be a good fit.
Provide deadlines
Give solid dates for yourself and for the candidate to meet. Throughout your communication touchpoints, be sure to set a specific deadline for your responses and theirs. Let the candidate know that you need their decision by a certain time. This may prompt frequent responses throughout the hiring process.
Evaluate your own process
Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Is your hiring process too lengthy? Are there too many steps? Is the time in between each conversation too long?
Consider your current recruitment process – this may contribute to the ghosting. Review your communication style, interview procedures, and any delays in your hiring process. Find areas where you can improve and reduce these ghosting incidents in the future.
Keep searching
Use this as a sign to keep up with your current talent pipeline and continue to search for the right candidates. If ghosting is something you want to avoid from now on, consider asking for help and partnering with a staffing agency like ETS. We provide frequent touch points with candidates throughout every stage of the hiring process.
Our expert recruiters have all experienced ghosting before, and we take the extra steps to ensure that we can avoid it whenever possible. With the help of ETS, we’ll handle your hiring for you, by providing you with a customized staffing solution that works best for your business. To learn more, live chat with our team now!
