A couple of months ago, my office was hiring for an entry-level position. We scheduled an interview with a candidate both we and our client were excited about. The day came, the client came, the time came, but the interviewee didn’t. No phone call, no text, no email. We waited half an hour. Crickets. Finally, our client gave up and left. Awkward. We were ghosted. Ghosting is a term usually reserved to describe cutting off communication without warning with someone you no longer want to date, but now employers are being haunted. All of us have found an open position we loved, spent hours adapting our resume to the job description and writing a clever cover letter, then sent it off only to hear silence from the employer. Kinda makes you feel entitled not to respond when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn’t it? But that behavior could have grave consequences on your career.
Why does ghosting happen? It can happen when an inexperienced candidate has multiple offers and wants to avoid conflict. Social media and texting help us communicate easily, but don’t allow for face to face bonding so relationships can be shallow and easily left. Another reason is now that there are more job openings in America than employees to fill them, ghosting seems to be a bit of payback to the system that allowed employers to only contact the applicant they wanted to hire and leave the rest of us hanging.
What can employers do? They could take a cue from the travel industry and overbook interviews like an airline over sells tickets. They could hold group interviews which both saves time and creates a sense of competition among the applicants. I was in a group interview for a side gig at a department store a couple of years ago and it made me want the job more. I not only saw who was up for the position, but also the interviewer’s nonverbal reactions to my competitors answers. I then tailored my answers based on her reactions to theirs. I got the job. Employers can call or text a new hire 24 hours before her first day with a friendly, “Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!” message. They can treat people with respect. If the candidate is not the right fit, communicate that message kindly and as soon as possible.
What should job seekers do? There’s a cliche that goes, “You meet the same people on the way down the ladder as you did on the way up.” The recruiter who found you for this job, may also work for another employer you want to work for later. People have long memories and tend not to forget who ghosted them. For example: Attendance was a crucial aspect of the job for which we were hiring. If you ghosted the interview, we can’t rely on you to show up for the job. It’s not like you can come back to us and say, “JK, changed my mind, I’ll take that job now.” You’ve broken trust with us and won’t get it back. If you accept another offer, respectfully tell the hiring manager as soon as possible. At least send an email, but best practice is to have the difficult conversation. Remember that department store side gig I mentioned in the last paragraph? I began onboarding and found out within two weeks this was a bad fit. Did I want to ghost? Yes. Did I? No. When I walked into the manager’s office to tell her, she took one look at me and said, “You’re quitting, aren’t you? Why do all the adults quit?” Bottom line: She thought I was mature and we parted amicably. If I want to go back, the door is still open. It was worth the forty-five seconds of discomfort.
Have you ever ghosted a potential employer? Have you ever had a interviewee just not show up? Share you stories here: