When job candidates have ghosted you, did you blame them for the separation?

Now, did you ever think HR or hiring managers did something — or failed to do something — that prompted the ghosting?

It’s likely the process was partly to blame. And it’s a dangerous practice.

“Candidates understand that the way they are treated in the hiring process reflects the way they’ll be treated on the job. Top candidates who don’t feel respected or can’t see themselves being happy in the job are going to drop out for other opportunities,” says Don Gannon-Jones, VP of Content at Karat.

Why companies get ghosted

There are several reasons candidates remove themselves — usually by just not showing up or responding — from hiring processes.

Those include:

• Wasted time. When employers take too much time between steps in the hiring process, or wait too long to follow up after one step, candidates feel ghosted — and will often reciprocate.
• Ridgid schedules. On the flip side, some organizations maintain extremely rigid interview schedules, allowing little time for candidates to free up schedules or prepare for interviews. “That tells candidates a lot about your workplace flexibility,” says Gannon-Jones.
• Gauntlet-style obstacle courses. Some employers try high-stakes interview questions and/or pre-employment assignments that demand unnaturally high and unexpected cognitive work. Then candidates perform below their capabilities.

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