Ghosted as a jobseeker? Here’s how to avoid it

Sydney, 15 May 2019 – The term ‘ghosting’ is becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of work as more jobseekers experience incidents of career-related ghosting – the act of a company pulling away during the hiring process without explanation. Equally, many hiring managers experience ghosting on the part of the jobseeker – highlighting communication (or lack thereof) goes both ways. Incidentally, poor communication during the recruitment is at the heart of many jobseekers’ frustrations, as research from Robert Half reveals.
In a poll of 1,000 jobseekers across Australia, the top three frustrations were slow feedback (53%), delayed decision-making (46%) and poor communication from hiring managers (44%) – a clear indication that the main jobseeker frustrations revolve around poor or lack of communication on the part of the company.
Andrew Morris, Director of Robert Half Australia said: “While it’s not always possible to identify the exact reasons why employers alienate job candidates with poor communication during the recruitment process, possible explanations include avoidance of delivering bad news, sudden changes to recruiting requirements, or keeping candidates as a back-up option in case other preferred candidates fall through. Yet from the jobseekers’ perspective, ghosting by employers means they miss out on valuable feedback related to performance and suitability, time and effort is wasted, and their confidence sometimes takes a hit.”
 
“It’s important both candidates and employers alike understand the impact ghosting can have on their career path and reputation. In a digital age where more candidates are sharing their experiences using online review sites, offering no response to candidates after an interview could have long-term consequences, such as developing a poor company reputation and inability to attract top talent.”
 
“Similarly, candidates who ghost companies could suffer damage to their professional reputation which could negatively impact their career if the hiring manager becomes the face of another company the candidate later applies to. By simply keeping communication lines open and maintaining transparency, employer and candidates alike will avoid burning bridges they may wish to cross in the future,” added Andrew Morris.
Here are three ways jobseekers can potentially prevent the possibility of no response after interview:

• 1. Don’t leave the interview without knowing next steps

Job applicants should not leave the interview until they have confirmation the hiring manager has all the information he/she needs, as well as sufficient information about the next steps in the hiring process.
“To set expectations, jobseekers need to ask prospective employers for an outline of the hiring process and expected timeframe which will help them gain a clear understanding of when they should expect to hear from the hiring managers.”

• 2. Follow up 

The best way for job applicants to remain top of mind with the hiring manager is by following up with a thank-you note within 48 hours of the first interview – it’s a nice touch and can help applicants stand out and reaffirms their interest in the position.
“Communication goes both ways, so if a jobseeker hasn’t heard back from the hiring manager after a week, they should pick up the phone and call them. If the employer has no update, they can ask when they can expect to hear back and again stress their interest in the role.”
 

• 3. Make it clear that your search is moving forward

One additional way for jobseekers to potentially speed up the hiring process is to remind the hiring manager that they are still job hunting. Candidates should inform the hiring manager they have received interest from and have been interviewing with other companies (only if this if the case, of course).
“Jobseekers should politely inform the hiring manager that they are interviewing for other positions, which lets the employer in question know they’re not the only business competing for their talents,” concluded Andrew Morris.
 

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Notes to editors
 
About the research
The study was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research company among 1,000 jobseekers in Australia.
About Robert Half
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy and member of the S&P 500. Founded in 1948, the company has more than 300 offices worldwide providing temporary, interim and permanent recruitment solutions for accounting and finance, financial services, technology, and administrative professionals. Robert Half Australia has offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Mount Waverley, Perth and Sydney. More information on  https://www.roberthalf.com.au.