3 Reasons You’re Getting Ghosted By Candidates

Getting ghosted by a candidate can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know why. Explore the reasons behind candidate ghosting and how communication breakdowns, misinterpretation of candidate intentions, and complex processes might drive candidates away. Transparent communication and simplified processes can make your organization more attractive to top talent, ensuring a smoother and more successful hiring process.

3 Reasons You're Getting Ghosted By Candidates
Written by
Lorin Parrella
Published on
8 Nov 2023

Sourcing the right talent for your clients is a challenging task. You spend countless hours crafting the perfect job description, sourcing candidates, and conducting interviews. Yet, despite your best efforts, candidates are mysteriously disappearing – they’re ghosting you. 

Candidate ghosting, where candidates suddenly stop responding to communication attempts, can be perplexing. This phenomenon has become increasingly common, leaving you and your clients scratching their heads in frustration. Below, we’ll delve into why you might be getting ghosted by candidates and how you can turn the tide.

Ghosted By Candidates Because of Your Communication

Communication is paramount when speaking with job seekers. Effective communication fosters trust and builds loyalty between you and your candidate. Establishing trust ensures candidates feel valued and respected, enhancing their overall experience with you and your client’s company. 

Open and frequent discourse with your candidate helps. Make sure to follow up on dates, times, addresses, and even the method of transportation they will use to get to an interview. Constant communication ensures that you and your candidate are on the same page. A positive candidate experience can significantly impact the candidate’s interview with clients, too. Utilizing regular and respectful communication, such as informing the candidate about their application status, interview schedules, and feedback, can be the difference between them accepting the job or not. 

Even if you need to reject a candidate, timely and constructive feedback can leave a positive impression, encouraging them to consider future opportunities with the company. You can mitigate candidate ghosting by keeping open lines of communication, setting clear and honest expectations, and providing regular updates. A positive experience from the beginning can minimize the likelihood of candidates disappearing without notice.

You “Misread” the Candidate

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the numerous applications and stringent deadlines you have to meet. It’s possible to misinterpret candidate qualifications, intentions, or cultural fit inadvertently – anything from a candidate’s nerves during an interview to how they present their skills could be misunderstood. You might also prioritize candidates with extensive experience or specific skill sets instead of weighing character and skills. 

Focusing solely on technical abilities can lead to overlooking candidates with exceptional potential to learn and adapt. Skills can be developed, but traits like creativity, resilience, and a strong work ethic are invaluable and can be underestimated in the recruitment process. Misreading candidates can have far-reaching consequences. It can lead to high employee turnover rates, decreased morale within the workforce, and diminished productivity. Moreover, it can damage the employer’s reputation, making it challenging to attract top talent in the future.

Your Recruiting Process is Too Complex

Recruiters often grapple with an overwhelming number of steps, protocols, and tools in the hiring process. From crafting detailed job descriptions to screening resumes, conducting initial interviews, skills assessments, background checks, and multiple rounds of interviews, the journey from applicant to employee can be painful for candidates and lead to getting ghosted by candidates. 

Complex recruiting processes can lead to a negative candidate experience. Lengthy delays between stages, unclear communication, and an excessive number of hoops to jump through are common and annoying. A poor candidate experience can damage a recruiter’s reputation as well as the reputation of the recruiting agency and the client. 

Recruiters like yourself can often be tied to a process or a sales script. Being tied down can be frustrating, and it may even impact your job performance. If you feel frustrated with your current situation or that you could do better in a company that appreciates you and your work ethic, Cura Search can help. We’re a Rec2Rec company – a recruiter’s best friend. Our job is to help you feel satisfied with your job. If you’re ready for a change in your company or career, contact us at www.CuraSearch.com and learn more about how we can help you!


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