Ghosting is the new black
No one is new to the term ghosting, one that originally started being used in the dating world but quickly spread through every other interaction that can be made via e-mail, text, phone calls and so on.
Nowadays, it's a phenomenon especially common in the work world - for years, ghosting was something recruiters and hiring managers have done to job candidates, particularly during phases where the unemployment rate was high as well as the job search.
It's difficult to keep applicants in the loop when there are so many recruitment processes to deal with, but let's be honest: sometimes people just don't feel like it, or feel it's a waste of time, or don't care because you weren't the chosen one and there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Basically, bad manners.
So, it doesn't strike like a huge surprise that now the tables have been turned: applicants are now ghosting companies to which they applied.
Candidates are not returning calls from recruiters, not showing up to interviews, not showing up to work after having accepted the job, or showing up for a day or a week and then leaving one afternoon to never return.
Why is this happening?
Like the recruiters handle more than one job application, also the applicants have most likely applied to more than one job. When being accepted in more than one, they may feel shy or embarrassed to have to let people know that they went another way.
Other times, they simply don't want to put in the time and effort to follow up with the employer they are no longer interested in.
The traditional thought process of "I apply for a job > I interview for a job > I get hired and I start the job" — those days are [almost] over. Workers are starting to think of themselves as free agents, who owe nothing to the companies.
So we all need to adapt in order to keep the processes fast, assertive and above all, human.
Why should candidates treat recruiters and hiring managers with respect when they haven’t been treated with respect for years?
Employers and candidates should always treat each other respectfully. Otherwise, ghosting will become our way of dealing with everything that isn't delightful and we'll be breaking bridges instead of building them.