Why are So Many Employees Ghosting and What Can Your Company Do About It?

Post by:The Reserves Network

Candidates who don’t show up for interviews. New hires who don’t show up on day one or return for day two. Employees who quit with zero notice. This is a trend known as “ghosting” and employers are dealing with a surge of workers who engage in the practice. In fact, USA Today estimates that 20 to 50 percent of all applicants and workers “ghost” in some fashion.

Ghosting, Explained

Ghosting is a term that originated in the dating market. It is the practice of ignoring someone without warning or explanation until they finally just leave you alone.  In the workplace, rather than having uncomfortable conversations and saying, “I am quitting,” or “I accepted another offer,” workers hope that if they ignore a hiring manager long enough, they will simply disappear.  Ghosting is happening at all levels from low-skill to upper management. But why?

Why Ghosting is Becoming So Common

There are a number of factors contributing to ghosting, including:

  • A booming job market: Candidates know they can hold out for better offers in a tight labor market.
  • Changing attitudes: Younger people are more comfortable with ghosting, and they don’t see anything wrong with disappearing if a job isn’t right for them.
  • A poor hiring process: If a candidate feels like he or she is being dragged along, if the process is confusing or if you are non-communicative, they may simply jump ship.

How To Handle Ghosting

Ghosting isn’t just frustrating – it’s costly. If the average cost-to-hire an employee is $5,000 and the time to fill is 40 days, you’re flushing money away each time someone no-shows. To combat the problem of ghosting, use strategies like:

  • Recruit passive talent: This allows you to establish relationships with talent who might not be looking for a job at this moment. This allows for proactive recruiting rather than reactive recruiting and more thoughtful decision-making.
  • Improve the hiring process: A long, drawn-out, confusing or uncommunicative process will cost you talent. To avoid ghosting, work on developing a more positive candidate experience.
  • Create an onboarding process: New hires decide to stay or leave a job within the first three weeks. A sink-or-swim onboarding approach will lead to ghosting. Employees need direction and they need to be supported in their first few weeks on the job.

It is impossible to tell whether ghosting in the workplace is going to continue at the rates we are seeing today, or if a shift in the job market to an employer-driven environment will naturally slow it. However, candidates are definitely more comfortable with it, so employers should adjust their strategies now.

Are You Looking for Reliable Candidates? Contact The Reserves Network.

For more tips on improving hiring and retention, contact the staffing and recruiting experts at The Reserves Network today.

 

The Reserves Network