On the third week of Christmas, my recruiter gave to me – Advice on getting in touch with candidates, and minimising the risk of candidate GHOSTING!

In a time where people would prefer not to have confronting conversations that may end up being confrontational, candidate ghosting is rife.

Interestingly, according to a recent LinkedIn report, 95% of recruiters say they’ve experienced ghosting and when asked, 40% of candidates believe it’s reasonable to ghost a potential employer.

To speak directly to industry candidates for a moment – As a person that has been on both sides of the fence, I can say with absolute conviction that I believe it is more detrimental for you if you ghost an employer that you have actively engaged with about an employment opportunity.

You tarnish your own reputation with that employer, and with our industry being such a small world where everyone knows everyone, it can backfire on you later in your career when that employer has potential to become an employer or colleaugue within another business. Not worth it!

So what can we do as employers, or recruiters, to minimise the risk of ghosting?

1.       When candidates apply, always text first.

Sometimes a candidate will apply for a position, and then ghost before you even have the opportunity to get on the phone to them. A text is a very non-invasive form of communication and a great initial introduction. Something along the lines of:

“Hi Ava, thank you so much for submitting your application for a position with us. We’re very interested in your skills and experience and would love to learn more about how you could fit in with our team. Is there a suitable time we could lock in a call?”

A message with this tone provides some validation that their application has been warmly received, and contacting them in a text format allows them to pause, reflect and prepare for the conversation, rather than having to act on the fly.

2.       During the initial interview, check in with ‘how does that sound to you?’

In today’s market, you’re often selling yourself to the candidate, just as much as they are selling themselves to you! Provide a detailed insight into what they can expect from a position with you, and always follow up with a ‘how does that sound?’ or ‘Is that what you were hoping for in your next opportunity?’

Gaging their tone and interest will give you a good indication of whether you are on the right track, need to work harder to impress them, or whether they are just not that into you.

3.       Find out where they are at in their job search

I always ask candidates where they are currently at in their job search, and whether they are actively interviewing elsewhere. This is completely okay, and to be expected but also gives you the heads up on whether you’re in competition with anyone else.

4.       Give them the green light to let you know if they’re not interested.

If they are actively engaging with other potential employers, let them know you would love the opportunity to know if they do select an employment elsewhere and that any feedback on why they didn’t pursue an opportunity with you is welcomed and encouraged. If they would prefer not to provide feedback that’s completely reasonable but let them know there are no hard feelings if they decide to accept elsewhere. Setting this expectation will increase the likelihood of them actually letting you know the outcome so you’re not following them up incessantly after!