[Continued from “Employee Ghosting: Why It’s Happening and How to Prevent It – Pt 1“]
3. Communication Mix-Ups
- Communication failure with multiple contacts in the same company can cause employee ghosting
- They thought they did not acquire the job
- The Candidate feels ghosted and doesn’t realize it’s their turn to respond
The last category is, fortunately, the easiest to address. Avoid mixups by approaching hiring with a careful and methodical routine. If you make sure each candidate (and a hiring manager) understands the correct flow of communication, you can make sure candidates don’t slip through the cracks with misunderstandings or accidental co-ghostings. And yes, co-ghostings can happen with just one email lost on a busy day.
How to Prevent Employee Ghosting in Your Hiring Process
So, how can you reduce all three types of employee ghosting in your hiring process? This is a matter of contact, engagement, and mutual respect. We have several effective tips but (spoiler) the core theme is to make the candidate feel like there is a real human connection. Indeed, ensure that their participation is valued. No one wants to be ghosted.
Contact Employees Soon After Receiving the Application
First, don’t leave applicants hanging. Do you want to access a great resume? Send a personalized, human email as soon as you see the application in your inbox. Let the candidate know that their application was received, is being considered, and that they should pay attention to this job offer compared to the dozens of other applications they shot out last week.
Connect Directly Through Email or LinkedIn
Get off the hiring platforms, out of the recruiter relay, and connect directly. Give your candidate a name and face, a person they are talking to. People ghost platforms, but they are less likely to ghost a person with whom they are building a rapport and having personal contact. So make that personal connection. In fact, a little friendly chat can go a long way in ghost prevention.
Ask Them Not to Ghost You – And Promise Not to Ghost
Just asking is a surprisingly simple and powerful way not to get ghosted. In your first interview or live chat, mention that you’ve been ghosted by candidates, but would really like to see this candidate stay in touch because you’re seriously considering their skills on your team. Just ask, and promise not to ghost in return. This simple gesture of respect and human understanding is often all it takes, by letting the candidate know that it’s safe to build that you care enough to build that mutual respect.
Give the Candidate a Timeline – And Stick To It
If the hiring process is going to take a while – especially if the candidate needs to wait a few weeks for the next stage – give them a timeline! Many companies don’t even realize that they ghosted first by staying quiet for weeks after the first email. That feels a lot like ghosting. Candidates who feel ghosted can and will find other opportunities and stop checking for your messages.
Instead, give them a schedule they can check with and trust. If they have to wait for a meeting with the department head or the entire hiring team, or other candidates, let them know what they’re waiting for and how long to stay in the line. Or they won’t stay on the line.
Reach Out one More Time
Finally, if you think you’ve been ghosted by a candidate, send one more email. This can prevent a “mix-up” ghosting from a lost email; winning back a candidate, or at least receiving closure of a polite “found something else” email. In order to improve the industry, don’t forget to send your own closure letters to unselected candidates and fight the good fight against the ghosting trend.
Mutual Respect and Communication: The Answer to Employee Ghosting
Employee ghosting is a real problem in 2022 as employers struggle to find the talent they need and often have a tight budget for finding and recruiting candidates. With the shoe on the other foot, the only way to heal the ghosting epidemic caused initially by dismissive recruiting strategies is an approach of mutual respect – and direct communication.
Build a rapport and relationship with candidates, let them know what they’re waiting for, and simply ask them not to ghost you. Promise not to ghost them in return and you’re halfway to making a friend as well as a new hire. Candidates who see a human connection and real possibilities with your hiring process won’t become ghosts.
Learn More About Employee Ghosting
Here at BrightR Limited, we specialize in employee-employer relationships. That relationship starts with each professional during the hiring process. The ghosting trend is one that reflects a disconnect between candidates and recruiting companies – a rift that has grown over decades of bad behavior when the shoe was on the other foot. Today, it’s our job to heal that rift by helping candidates and companies see each other as valued in the hiring process.
Contact us today for expert consulting services to improve your hiring process and eliminate the risk of ghosting engaged candidates.
