6 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Applicants Ghosting the Hiring Process

When it comes to hiring.... What keeps you up at night?

I asked a group of hiring professionals this question and honestly wasn't surprised when the most common reply was workplace ghosting.

Employers will reach out to applicants to gather additional information, schedule an interview, or offer the candidate a job only to be "left on read" by the job seeker. Applicants stop replying, no show their interviews, or accept the job and never appear for their first day of work.

In a study conducted by Indeed in 2019, they found 83% of companies recruiting for open positions reported being ghosted by candidates.

Ghosting has been an issue for years...

And the scary reality is that it's only gotten worse.

With the spike in unemployment, you'd assume the job market would be filled with more aggressive and hungry job seekers.

But the rise in unemployment payouts, COVID cases, and nationwide stay home mandates, has put a wrench in the job market and qualified applicant pool. Let's face it... most companies tend to hire job seekers who are already employed and may be looking to shift gears -- But with the current state of chaos and uncertainty, employed job seekers are more likely to err on the side of caution, staying where they are, rather than take a step into an unknown job market.

In this article, I'm sharing 6 ways you can decrease your chances of getting ghosted by applicants. Check it out!

6 ways you can decrease your chances of getting ghosted by applicants

• 1. Write a competitive and exciting job ad

  If your job sounds like everybody else's, there's nothing compelling job seekers to choose your job over your competitors. This is your competitive advantage -- Use it!

• 2. Make it easy to apply

  Your goal is to attract qualified applicants, not desperate job seekers. Those who are highly qualified are more likely to have other options and therefore, likely won't jump through unnecessary hoops to apply for your job. Remove the friction!

• 3. Create great screening questions

  Ensure your screening questions are providing you with a list of the top candidates. This allows you to allocate your time to keep high-quality candidates engaged.

• 4. Keep job seekers engaged

  Communicating with applicants is crucial! If you maintain the momentum throughout the entire process and keep applicants engaged and excited, they'll be far less likely to ghost you.

• 5. Human-to-human communication

  Be authentic and genuine in your communication with applicants. Stop sending computer-generated messages from a no-reply email address. Applicants want to hear from a real person. Put less emphasis on your message sounding perfectly scripted and professional, and more emphasis on sounding authentic! Invest your time and interest in job seekers, and they will do the same for you.

• 6. Send reminders and provide transparency

  You're competing for talent and it's important to ensure the hiring process is organized and communicated effectively. Provide thorough instructions and reminders on how job seekers are to complete each step in the application and interview process. Make sure the job seeker knows what to expect next!

Let's face it.... Employers have been ghosting job seekers for decades.

The tables have turned and employers across all industries are on the receiving end of one-sided communication and getting left in the dust.

So maybe the workplace ghosting phenomenon is here to stay -- But now you've got the resources to better position yourself to reduce the risk!

Download my FREE Job Interview Question Guide. It provides you with a list of questions, ideas on how to conduct a well-structured interview, and tips for creating your own interview questions that are going to provide you with the valuable insight you need to find the right candidate.