Unfortunately, candidate ghosting is a reality for recruiters, driven – in part – by the low employment rates. Job seekers are receiving competing offers and more activity, which has empowered some to feel okay with just disappearing from their bottom-rung opportunities. It’s unprofessional and short-sighted, but it is happening. Here are three ways to minimize ghosting.

Watch out for it.

We advise hiring managers to detect signs of disinterest by understanding what other options candidates have and how your opportunity compares. A candidate’s initial impression will drive their behavior during a search, so gauging interest and discussing potential hesitations in the beginning is key.

Try to deter it.

Ask your candidate what they are seeing in the market and their level of activity with other employers. From there, open communication will minimize ghosting. Something as simple as, “If you have any hesitations about this position during the process, or if there are changes in your search, please feel comfortable letting me know – this will help us work together collaboratively.” Building rapport helps candidates feel more invested, and less likely to disappear.

If it happens.

When it happens, just breathe. While the unprofessional act of ghosting may be unacceptable, there is a way to handle it. Set deadlines as to when you need a response from the candidate in order to be considered moving forward. For example, “If I don’t hear back from you by Wednesday on the interview request, I’m assuming this position is no longer of interest and I will be actively pursuing the other candidates.”

As a recruiter, you do have influence and ability to lessen candidate ghosting in your process!

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