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So, you sailed through that job interview, emailed that perfectly presented thank note to your potential employer, and waited anxiously for a response. But days turn to weeks and even months. And still you hear nothing back.
It can be frustrating and even depressing not to get feedback after a job interview. What’s worse, it is an unprofessional trend that seems to be rising.
Most recruiters call it "ghosting" since the prospective employers stop communicating after the interview. However, this is not a new trend, and reportedly even prospective employees vanish leaving the potential employers unable to get hold of them during the hiring process.
According to a study published by a global analytics and advice firm Gallup last year, recruitment website Indeed found that 28% of candidates said they had ghosted an employer during 2020, up from 18% in 2019. And 77% of candidates said they had been ghosted by prospective employers since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
What does ghosting mean?
Indeed defines ghosting as a potential employer or hiring manager completely stopping communication with you after interviewing you. This includes not receiving any replies to your follow-up emails or them not answering your calls, leaving you in the dark about the outcome of your interview. However, Durban-based leadership and career coach Manoshni Perumal had a different take on what corporate ghosting means.
Despite Perumal’s take on what this trend should be called, it’s commonly accepted worldwide that ghosting is a real thing when it comes to the recruitment process.
Just like in a romantic date or a blooming relationship, potential employees do expect feedback from the prospective employers - be it positive or negative - so they can be certain of the outcome of the interview, instead of waiting indefinitely and being hopeful for a post that has probably been filled already. This, Perumal said, could affect a person’s mental wellbeing.
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Perumal added that with higher positions, there were fewer applications, as the recruiters are more specific in the skills they want for a particular position.
“However, when you employ at a lower level you will find more people applying, even if they don’t meet the criteria, mainly because of the desperation that results from our unemployment crisis [in the country]. This can be burdensome to the employers. However, as recruiters shortlist [candidates], the number of applicants gets smaller. These are the people they at least should respond to, especially after the job interview.”
Why do employers ghost applicants?
According to Perumal, employers find responding to each candidate time-consuming and costly. “Others take it for granted that potential employees interpret non-communication as a sign of them not being appointed.”
Johannesburg-based career coach Mpume Ncube-Daka, added that she did not know why ghosting prospective employees had become a trend: “I remember having a chat with someone in the recruitment space who said they get so many emails that it’s difficult to respond to each applicant. I think it’s disregard, taking people for granted and thinking that many people are applying from a place of desperation.”
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Sometimes, Ncube-Daka said, employers ghosted people only to get back to them a few months later. This is concerning as constant communication and transparency are very important for the recruitment process. The question you should then ask yourself is, do I want to work in an organisation like that?”
How you can deal with ghosting
Perumal added:
She advised job seekers to gauge the timeframe of the interviews and appointments when they peruse the job adverts. “Sometimes, vacancies are filled within a month or three months from the closing date of the job advertisement. This is how you can gauge that the job is already filled if you haven’t heard anything from employers, as this is the timeframe for when interviews, offers and appointments are made.”
However, ghosting can also happen when the post has been frozen due to budget constraints or the vacancy not being available anymore because of internal restructuring.
With that said, looking for a job is very stressful, especially for the unemployed. Perumal's advice to jobseekers is for them to find ways to stand out through their qualifications or upskilling for a very competitive job market
Ncube-Daka added that when applicants go for job interviews, they must also mentally prepare themselves for not getting the job or even a response from prospective employers:
Ideally, in the interview you need to ask the prospective employers about the steps of the recruitment process and when you can expect to hear from them. “If you don’t get any form of communication according to the timeframe they gave you, give them at least a week before you follow up with them. If you don’t hear anything after the second follow-up, it’s an indication that you might, unfortunately, be ghosted.”
READ: Keeping existing employees happy crucial for companies wanting to attract talent
Perumal suggested that people should also consider entrepreneurship by finding a gap in the market to creatively fill. To companies, she said: “It’s important for employers to value the importance of community engagement because they have a responsibility to the people they serve. If they cannot employ individuals, they should at least reach out and give constructive feedback on why the candidates didn’t get the job. Or conduct empowerment programmes to assist the community, especially the youth, to be better marketable in the workplace.”
