Ghosting is a thing in online dating, and now it’s a growing problem for companies already facing challenges in trying to fill the job openings they have.
Staffing firm Robert Half says 34% of D.C.-area hiring managers report seeing a big increase in ghosting in the past two years; job candidates who have been interviewed, but simply don’t return follow-up emails or calls about their applications from companies that are interested in hiring them.
“The younger generation that probably hasn’t been in the workforce a very long time, or had jobs before, are prone to be doing the ghosting, more than people who have an established body of work and career,” said Trey Barnette, D.C. regional Vice President at Robert Half.
Why the ghosting? About a third of those who’ve done it say they’d already received another job offer, 26% say it was because of the company’s mandatory return to the office policy and 17% say the job wasn’t what they expected.
But another reason for getting ghosted is because of the company’s poor interview process, and a hiring process that takes too long.
“Streamline the hiring process. Many job seekers are receiving multiple offers right now. It is a candidate-driven market. Be prepared to move fast. And bring your best offer right away,” Barnette said.
Ghosting isn’t just unprofessional. It can come back to haunt a job seeker. Especially in the D.C. area, Barnette said.
“In specific industries, like nonprofits and government contractors, they do talk to each other. And you never know who knows somebody else, and you never know when you’ll cross paths with someone you ghosted again.”
Two-thirds of D.C. managers Robert Half surveyed say they have missed out on a candidate they wanted to hire in the last 12 months, and 39% say it was because they took too long to extend an offer, and the candidate accepted a position at another company.
Robert Half’s online survey included responses from more than 2,300 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees, and more than 2,400 workers.
