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Have you recently been interviewed by the companies and still awaiting basic updates on your job application? Do you often find yourself running after the recruitment agency about your recent interviews but to no avail? Are you tired of writing into the black hole of companies and their HR department and never hearing back from them? Do you still remember that elated feeling of nailing the interview and now you feel abandoned? To your dismay, whenever you check your email, all you get back is some robotic automated responses and that’s it? Well, if that’s the case you are professionally ghosted by the recruiter!
What is professional ghosting?
In this digital age, it is not uncommon to end a relationship suddenly by cutting off all communication from someone, which is often painful as it keeps the other person clueless about what has actually happened! All of this is not more hurtful than ghosting- which means simply that the other person has stopped responding to all communication. And I am sure you would have one point in your life have acted as a ghoster or a ghostee or both. Sadly, this is not only limited to the dating world anymore. This practice of ghosting has seeped into the talent acquisition world as well and is commonly called recruiter ghosting. People on the job hunt are now at equal risk of being ghosted by the recruiters.
Being ghosted doesn’t mean that you applied for a job, and then never heard back from them. This happens to everyone. But this rather means you applied to the job, assumed that your interview went well and are expecting good news or round two soon. And then nothing- no calls, no texts, no e-mails and all you get is dead silence in response to your follow-ups. You are ghosted by the recruiter after the interview! When a prospective employer fails to respond to candidates after a round of seemingly promising interviews it leads to the phenomenon of professional ghosting.
Is it normal to be ghosted by a recruiter?
It is a normal thing to be ghosted by a recruiter as they do not want to be a bearer of the bad news and want to avoid any unpleasant confrontation with the candidates. Sometimes the recruiters ghost you as they do not have the bandwidth to respond to all the rejected candidates and sometimes they stop corresponding because ghosting is easier than face-to-face confrontations.
Professional ghosting is widely used in the recruitment context but is also applicable to other corporate arenas. For example, a marketing consultant is ghosted by the company when a final invoice is raised in lieu of marketing consultancy services provided by them. Or a social media influencer is ghosted by a start-up brand after they raised the invoice for a successful brand endorsement on social media platforms.
However, the opposite is equally true. A candidate may be interviewed by more than two companies and may be selected by all of them for joining. She may finally choose one of the prospective employers and doesn’t inform other companies about her decision. Recruiters sometimes refer to such candidates as ‘ghost candidates’. This form of professional ghosting may result in what is called a “career suicide”, as it often leaves the recruiters with a lifelong bitter taste in their mouths. Though the candidate didn’t choose them for now, the recruiters might interview or work with her in the future. Leaving the other professional hanging will go against her.
How recruiter ghosting is affecting you?
Getting a new job, especially during an economic downturn or pandemic like COVID-19 or even otherwise, is no joke. You research the role and the company and customize your resume and cover letter accordingly. You then submit your applications to various companies in anticipation of getting a positive reply. People easily spend 6 months in the process of job search before they get some promising lead. But being ghosted after a successful interview can be really devastating as it jeopardizes the mental health of job seekers. It can even become a major cause of your stress.
Read Also: Reinvent Yourself & Learn New Skills- New Skills to Learn During Quarantine!
Sings that you are ghosted by a recruiter after the interview
1. The super responsive recruiter becomes a slow-paced turtle
If you feel your super responsive recruiter has become hard to reach out of sudden or has become too slow in communicating with you, you are probably ghosted.
A recruiter only makes money, when they close the deal. If your recruiter gets a hint that you are not the right fit for the role, they will start ignoring you and instead will start to channelize all their energy on the next potential candidate than be a bearer of bad news.
2. The recruiter is always busy with some meeting
Whenever you call your recruiter, she is always busy in one meeting or the other. And she goes darker by the day without any sort of explanation. So, if you are dealing with someone who has now shifted into a complete “unavailable mode”, it is a sign that she is no longer interested.
3. The recruiter is always having network issues
“Hello…Hello…Hello! I cannot hear you…call me later”. Meanwhile, you can hear them crystal clear all the time! If your recruiter is always having some sort of bad connection or network, she is clearly avoiding you.
4. The recruiter is contradictory on social media
Social media can provide you with a shred of hard evidence that the recruiter does not want to talk to you anymore. After so many emails, texts and calls all you get is that she is not keeping well. But her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter speak otherwise. You discover that she is quite well and active on social media and even posting selfies with friends. Stop being too naïve to believe in this fabricated story and move on.
5. The recruiter always has mini-emergencies to attend to
If you often find your recruiter, always throwing some reasons to end the meeting in the garb of attending to something urgent and it always seems like a faux emergency or mini-emergency, then the chances are that she is avoiding you. Get these subtle hints, find someone more real and look for other opportunities.
Read Also: 6 Types of Toxic People to Avoid in Your Life- Spot, Stop and Cut-off
Why do recruiters ghosts applicants?
Professional ghosting is far more common and prevalent these days than you think. The reason why a recruiter ghost applicants and stop corresponding is that they do not want to play a devil and be a bearer of the bad news, and to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. They very well know that you’re their potential client and may fit in some other role in some other company in future. It is natural if they do not want a bad equation with the potential candidates.
Professionals who rely more on technology and avoid face to face interactions are more susceptible to professional ghosting or recruiter abandonment.
The most common reasons why recruiter ghosts applicants or stops corresponding are as follows:
1. Opening is no more a priority
There is a shift in priority with respect to a position or job opening. The role which was important till yesterday is no more relevant now or is put on hold. So, if the recruiter updates you on the same, you are more likely to blame them or argue with them for not getting them serious companies. And to avoid such a confrontation, the recruiter stops all the correspondence with you.
2. Known devils are better than the unknown ones
Like it or not companies always prioritize referrals over external applicants. Though companies like to interview external candidates, they also have an influx of internal referrals. Even though you performed well in the interview and are hopeful, the recruiter may be in the process of finalizing an internal referral instead. The company was just fulfilling the formality of interviewing x number of candidates and was window shopping as they had an internal reference already in mind.
3. Your timing is unfortunately not right
Your recruiter, to whom you spoke initially, may be either on long vacation or no more associated with the company concerned. They don’t owe you anything and you are their least concern.
4. Your recruiter is the culprit
Your recruiter might not be passing on the correct information to you as they are too shy to break the news. They knew that you were not the right fit, but they just did it to make their number.
5. Recruiters do not have time
The main reason you are ghosted by the recruiter and why they do not write back is that they do not have enough time for Candidate Relationship Management. The HR department is still considered an enabler function and is not taken as a direct contributor to the revenue stream. Hence in many organizations HR department is often understaffed. The main metrics of the HR department in the majority of organisations are the cost of hiring, time of hiring, quality of hiring, talent pipeline with respect to staffing and recruitment sub-functions. Also, the talent management sub-function does not have any metric called candidate or potential candidate management. Therefore, if you do not hear from them, do not fret and move on. You are not their core responsibility.
Always remember, recruiters, are not incentivized to give candidates feedback about where they messed up in their application or interviews. It is not part of their job and they are already overwhelmed with regular recruitments and resume screenings. One recruiter quoted:
I personally tried to close the loop by calling up the candidates- until one unpleasant experience stopped me- a one minute call to give the candidate closure turned into a thirty-minute debate and a tiring counselling session.
It is always advisable to look into your own actions before commenting something like “recruiter ghosted me”. Your actions may sometimes, do not go well with recruiters and in the process, you are ghosted by the recruiter. Ask yourself where did you go wrong? Are you overdemanding or overwhelming the recruiter with your issues?
6.. Bombarding the recruiter with follow-up
After a promising interview, you got too excited to think and bombarded the recruiter with follow-ups on all possible channels, without even realizing it. This might bug the recruiter and lead to probable ghosting.
7. Taking a passive approach
Recruiters respect candidates who show a consistent desire for the opening and show active participation rather than showing a passive approach towards the job opportunity. For example, if a recruiter tells you that they will send an additional assessment test as a next step on email, as a candidate you should reply to that mail showing your keenness to take this forward rather than waiting for the recruiter’s mail (assuming they will send it) and doing nothing.
While being ghosted is never a good feeling, you’re not at a loss. If you still feel like a job is a right opportunity for you, ask yourself, “How can I become a priority again?”
How to avoid being ghosted by the recruiter?
Although being ghosted by the recruiter is not a pleasant experience, you do not have to let it define you! Professional ghosting may feel like a rough experience, and it may not be your fault. But there are always actions which you can take to make sure you are not ghosted by the recruiter again. All you need to do is play your cards right. You may have already tried one or more of the tactics but it’s worth giving it a re-try with a different perspective. So how to avoid being ghosted by the recruiter or how to not get ghosted by the recruiter?
1. Follow up consistently
The best thing you can do is follow up with the recruiter and be patient. Send one mail at a time, and maintain a regular frequency like once a week for 4 weeks. The best way to approach them is via e-mail in the most dignified way by being polite and gracious while telling them how you are so invested in this quest of finding the right opportunity like this. Be thoughtful in your mail and continue to express your interest in the position and ask them if it is still open.
You can study the new trends in the industry and very precisely write it in the mail and assure them of your immediate contribution as soon as you join in. Be very specific and relevant to the position, role and the company in your correspondence. Also, you can ask for an update on the status of the requisition and ask them if it is still open, closed or went on hold. Most recruiters would not be able to ignore this kind of follow up.
And worst of all, you will be told that the position is no more vacant. But at least, you heard from them, received a final verdict and can finally move on.
2. Connect with non-traditional methods
If your attempts to connect with the recruiter via e-mail is not working, there is no harm in reaching out to them via different channels. Polite DMs on linked-in or WhatsApp can work. Be sure not to bombard the same person on all the channels you find. One new follow-up on a new channel is enough.
Also if you happen to find out the recruiter’s personal e-mail address, or phone number do not invade their private lives with your job enquiry. It will certainly not go well with them.
You may also make use of postal services like India post and send the recruiter or the company in name of the hiring manager a hard copy of the letter. You may also include your resume. All employees open letters sent to their business address. So, the chances of your letter being read are quite high and so are the chances of getting back a reply.
You can also pick up the phone and connect with the hiring manager via landline extension. This will increase the probability of you getting the answer directly from the horse’s mouth.
3. Build new contacts
If the role you applied for is still being flashed on the recruiter’s portal, it is a clear indication that the position is still open. You may consider reaching out to another recruiter, the company directly, or even the hiring manager. Try to find out the hiring manager’s work e-mail address and email your follow-up directly to them. This will help you build another relationship within the company. You can find out what is happening with the position and if it is still open. If your interview didn’t go as well as you thought and if it’s time to move on and channelize your energy for some other position.
But if you are ghosted over and over again, then it is the time to reflect back and find out what you may be doing wrong.
4. Internalise and introspect
Assess your own shortcomings. Find out where you are probably going wrong. At the same time make sure to introspect on other aspects like
- If you applied for the right role or the right company?
- Are you the right fit for the role and the culture?
- Are you overqualified or underqualified for the position applied for?
Answer these questions before anything else.
5. Speak the same language as the recruiter
Talk to your contacts in the prospective company or people in the same roles and find out the skills, metrics and competencies the employer is looking for in that role. Do your own effective research and speak the language recruiter wants you to speak.
6. Seek personalized feedback
Seek personalized feedback from a trusted source, who can peep into your professional journey, advise, guide and motivate you. Have that person follow up with you and hold a mock interview with an objective to fine-tune your professional dents.
How to deal with professional ghosting?
Yes, there is some hope. The HR industry per se has evolved over time and is even considering active use of a new initiative called- The Candidate Relationships Management System (a new CRM for candidate relationships management). The Talent acquisition teams are working more hard in convincing the top management, about the value and benefits of the new CRM. If such a practice is implemented, you may expect emails or reply backs on the status of your job application and subsequent interview as a part of a responsible recruitment initiative. You can also expect to have a dedicated Candidate Relationship Manager, managing long term responsible relations with potential candidates in an attempt to keep the company fresh in your mind while keeping you posted with new jobs and roles. Hopefully, top executives will start seeing value in this still nascent proposition and let the talent acquisition team have one more KRA added to their job roles in the form of a new CRM.
The other tool that can be effectively used to end recruiter ghosting is the use of Automation & Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the HR recruitment process. With hundreds of candidates applying for each position, it is not possible for the recruiter to create engaging and personalized interactions with each candidate. However, technology is an answer to this problem. Having Recruitment AI and Recruitment Chatbots will definitely give the recruiter more bandwidth to enhance the overall candidate experience. With such technology in place, the hiring team can focus on higher-level work and conversational Artificial Intelligence and chatbots can take care of daily interactions with the candidates, answer Q&As and end this ever-increasing phenomenon of recruiter ghosting.
But all of this is still in the ideation phase and may take some time to take a concrete form. Meanwhile, the need of the hour is to understand that professional ghosting is something which is out of your control. You can mitigate the chances but can never eliminate them altogether. Take it with a pinch of salt, read subtle hints, attain your own closure and get out of it.
So expect less from the recruiters and focus more on your strengths and work on your weakness. Figure out why it is happening, seek help or guidance, make necessary changes and relaunch yourself. Find yourself the right mentor who can guide you in all your career-related endeavours. You can also choose to upskill yourself with new a plethora of new skills to learn. With a little introspection and perseverance, you will succeed and secure yourself a long term match.
If you like this post, please share it with your professional contacts who are the victims of recruiter ghosting.
