How Recruiters and Hiring Teams Define “Ghosting”
ghost·ing
/ˈɡōstiNG/
The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.
“I thought ghosting was a horrible dating habit reserved for casual flings”
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I have been seeing a lot of complaints about “ghosting” and “never hearing back from recruiters” lately. This frustration is completely understandable, but I think there needs to be clarification on what actually constitutes “ghosting” vs. the “black hole of online applications.”
Ghosting is a term that originated in the dating world when texting became a commonplace means of communicating (vs. phone/email/live meetings). I looked up several online definitions of the word, and the commonality is an abrupt ending to an ongoing RELATIONSHIP. Transferring this to the world of employment, the key word here is “relationship”. This means an established communication between a job seeker (who the hiring side of the equation call “candidates”) and a potential employer. This means that you, as the job seeker, has had actual CONVERSATIONS with at least one person representing a specific employer. Those conversations can be written or verbal, but they are 1:1 and have started a professional relationship.
If you have applied online for a job and then never hear back, that is a one way transaction and does not constitute a “relationship”. If you make an attempt to network within the company, but you don’t get a reply — that is still not a “relationship”. If you actually connect with someone and you end up discussing the job and your qualifications in some level of detail, THAT would be a rudimentary relationship, and you should at the very least expect an indication that you are not a fit, or that the job is filled, or another indication that the conversation will not be continued. (I have several articles on effective networking here, here [focus on new grads], and here.)
There is absolutely no excuse for someone that has started the process of exploring a job with you to just stop communicating with you, no matter what the reason. But it is a two way street — employers invest a lot of time and money into the interview process, and for you to disappear because you took another job or changed your mind is just as rude and unprofessional — and there may be some additional longer-term consequences for you personally as well. (Just as there are consequences for employers).
So, what are the consequences on both sides to the ghosting route?
For employers: earning a bad reputation. There is a definitive concept known as “employer branding”; it starts with recruiting practices and goes right on up to how an organization treats its employees. This is exactly what Glassdoor was built for (Vault.com actually was the first online website tracking feedback in the “reputation management” game.) Recruiters can also engender a bad reputation, especially if they recruit in a localized geographic area/industry.
For job seekers: most companies using an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) have the capability to indicate for a candidate “Do Not Hire” — and it is visible as long as the company uses that ATS, and it is visible to every recruiter. It also will contain notes about the reason for the flag. Ghosting may or may not be a reason for such a flag — it depends on the employer. On top of that, recruiters, hiring managers, and potentially any members of the interview team will know your name, and remember you if/when they move to a new employer. I have had several candidates over my long career that have been declined because someone inside the company remembers their name and actions and recommends against pursuing them. (And no, it is not illegal).
Some strategies: if you have a recruiter reach out to you about a “great job” you are interested in and they ask for your resume and send you something interesting, suggest a 15 minute phone call to go over the role; use your resume as the bargaining chip. (And if they don’t schedule it, move on.) If you are talking to a staffing agency and suddenly your recruiter stops mid-process, chances are they may have abruptly left the company. I would look up a recruiting/staffing manager at that company on LinkedIn (during covid; just call the company once we return to the world of office space). If you are talking to someone at a corporate role, do the same thing: look for someone that is a recruiting manager and try to connect on LI to give feedback.
In the staffing industry, there are also generally two types of recruiters: corporate or “in house” recruiters that are recruiting directly on behalf of the company and have access to hiring managers, partner with interview teams, and are embedded within the company. There are also third party staffing agencies, many of whom may place candidates in full time roles at client companies. I have worked at both in my career; there are reputable agencies and there are disreputable ones. When you are working with a staffing agency, conduct your due diligence and make sure they actually have a SIGNED CONTRACT and are authorized to represent a client on a specific job. Recruiting as a whole has gotten a lot a bad press with job seekers because of disreputable agencies. One of their practices contributing to this is to find a job description online, go search out some candidates that look like they might be a fit for the role, then use that candidate’s resume to try and drum up business by contacting hiring managers and enticing them with the resume. Another way some agencies develop business is by having conversations with job seekers, get their references, and then use those references to try and sell them on services (and in this case, you may never hear from the agency again). It is shady but not illegal, and a reason why you, the job seeker, need to make sure you are dealing with agencies that are above board. (Ask your own professional network about specific agencies, including corporate recruiters to judge whether or not you want to proceed). Agencies are often used as an adjunct candidate source, especially for high demand jobs, at smaller companies including startups, or to help with highly niche roles — so don’t discount them completely.
