- UK recruitment software firm launches campaign urging employers to stop ghosting job applicants
- Cutting off communications with a potential employee sometime during the interview process became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Trend running tandem to issue employers are facing of new hires ghosting them shortly after receiving their first paycheck
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
Numerous businesses have complained that they are having difficulty filling job openings as the United States economy regains its footing after the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, research shows that employers have been increasingly likely to “ghost” the people who do apply for a job.
Ghosting occurs when a company abruptly ends communications with a job candidate at some point during the interview process, such as after completing an interview or a test requested by the employer. It can also apply to practices such as an at-will employee being gradually phased out of a work schedule.
The United Kingdom company Tribepad, which specializes in recruitment software, has launched a non-commercial public awareness campaign seeking to end ghosting. This includes a pledge for employers to take steps to address ghosting in their recruitment process and spread word about the issue.
- Tribepad says ghosting can have a negative impact on both the well-being of applicants and a company’s brand image
- The campaign includes features such as personal stories from both candidates and employers, tips for how companies can avoid ghosting, and advice for candidates to avoid getting ghosted
- While ghosting became more common during the pandemic, job applicants say the problem began much earlier; contributing factors may include things like software eliminating qualified job applicants and companies struggling to process a surge of applications
- The trend is running tandem to a similar issue of “ghosting coasting,” in which people take advantage of the labor shortage by landing a job and then ghosting their employer after receiving their first paycheck
