Consistent communication has emerged as the top measure to maintain engagement with jobseekers during the hiring process, according to a new report, as candidate ghosting becomes a problem during recruitment.

Findings from a new LiveCareer poll revealed that 25% of jobseekers had ghosted an employer at some point during the hiring process in the past.

Some 15% said they stopped responding after submitting an application, according to the findings.

Another 13% stopped communicating after a screening call or interview, while eight per cent stopped responding even after receiving a job offer.

"Employers cannot assume candidate engagement is secure simply because a candidate has progressed to later stages," the report read.

"Ghosting can occur at any point in the hiring process, not just during the early application stage."

Preventing candidate ghosting

Avoiding candidate ghosting during the hiring process will be dependent on different factors, according to the report.

Consistent communication and timely updates at each stage of the hiring process emerged as the top factor to prevent the situation. Other measures include:

• Transparency around salary, expectations, and hiring timelines (25%)
• Clear timelines for next steps and expected response windows (23%)
• Accurate job descriptions that reflect the role (16%)
• Meaningful feedback after interviews (13%)
• Reducing automation and increasing human interaction (13%)

"Candidate engagement depends heavily on consistent communication, clear expectations, and transparency throughout the hiring process. Employers who prioritise this are less likely to see candidates vanish," the report read.

Read the full report here: