Anonymous
02/28/2025 11:20
Subject: Candidates ghosting potential employers
They got a better offer and forgot or missed your email because it was no longer relevant to them. I’m sure if you worked at a top 5 company that they deal with they would have been on top of it.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 11:15
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
Its incredibly rude not to send a rejection letter to every job applicant you don't interview.
Maybe you should read an etiquette book.
You are dreaming. When your small business receives 300+ applications through Indeed, and 85% don't meet the requirements in your job posting, and clearly haven't even read your job posting but just clicked "submit," we are not responding to each
Anonymous
02/28/2025 11:14
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
Why, because you are on the receiving end of the ghosting this time?
There's more to consider when you think about why you may have been ghosted. Did you respond immediately upon receipt of this person's application informing them about the timeline and process for selecting interviewees? How long did it take you to get back to this person with feedback about the interview and more information about timeline and process expectations? How long from interview to offering a job? Did you offer the job verbally, and if so how quickly did you follow up with written information like a contract or letter of employment and concrete information about benefits that you offer with the job? Is your salary offer reasonable or are you low-balling?
OP here. We have been very responsive and provided lots of updates. She was scheduled for an interview almost immediately. She was one of our first interviews, so we shared with her that it would be a few weeks to get through interviews and then she's been updated weekly since. It was about 4 weeks from the first interview to job offer. I responded within 24 hours of her questions (EVEN when it took her a week+ to respond to me). Salary is what she asked for.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 11:12
Subject: Candidates ghosting potential employers
Candidates are now treating employers the way most employers treat candidates.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 10:56
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
Why, because you are on the receiving end of the ghosting this time?
There's more to consider when you think about why you may have been ghosted. Did you respond immediately upon receipt of this person's application informing them about the timeline and process for selecting interviewees? How long did it take you to get back to this person with feedback about the interview and more information about timeline and process expectations? How long from interview to offering a job? Did you offer the job verbally, and if so how quickly did you follow up with written information like a contract or letter of employment and concrete information about benefits that you offer with the job? Is your salary offer reasonable or are you low-balling?
Anonymous
02/28/2025 10:51
Subject: Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Recruiters often ghost candidates. Or are delayed in responding. It’s pretty common for them to only communicate with you when they need something.
Now the standard is ghosting. Someone young who has only been treated this way might not know any differently. They might think it’s how you’re supposed to behave.
I am not young and I have always been treated this way too. That’s not the standard? 😂
Anonymous
02/28/2025 10:03
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
OP isn't talking about people she's cold calling to see if they want a job. She's talking about people where there's been enough back and forth that an offer has been made. Basic social skills dictate that you acknowledge each other at the decision point, in that situation.
I think a lot of people saying this is fine don't understand that the world is based on relationships. You might not want this job today but you might be job hunting again in a year, or five years - and don't you think that being able to reach back out to someone like OP at that point, having left things in a friendly way, would be better than just burning that bridge?
Think beyond today. That is my best piece of advice, as an old person.
OP here. I agree. And have been through this personally. I interviewed for a job at my current company when I was in my 20s, the timing wasn't right for both of us, we left things on good terms. 8 years later, a more senior role opened up and they reached out and 9 years later, I'm still here.
Maybe it's industry specific, but in our industry after 20+ years, I've worked with so many people, that I am friendly with leadership at most companies in our industry in our city. I can and will, call them up to get their take on a candidate that they've overlapped with (not if they are working together currently of course). They do the same with me. Everyone is only separated by a couple degrees at most. It's a bad look to do what this person is doing.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 10:00
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
Why? An offer is no more than an application to the employee.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:54
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
OP isn't talking about people she's cold calling to see if they want a job. She's talking about people where there's been enough back and forth that an offer has been made. Basic social skills dictate that you acknowledge each other at the decision point, in that situation.
I think a lot of people saying this is fine don't understand that the world is based on relationships. You might not want this job today but you might be job hunting again in a year, or five years - and don't you think that being able to reach back out to someone like OP at that point, having left things in a friendly way, would be better than just burning that bridge?
Think beyond today. That is my best piece of advice, as an old person.
I have 20 years of experience and this situation never happened to me or my friends.
+1. Over 25 years of experience. We aren't the middle of nowhere and for someone to remember someone who, years back, ghosted them, is a bit odd (as someone else previously noted).
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:53
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
OP isn't talking about people she's cold calling to see if they want a job. She's talking about people where there's been enough back and forth that an offer has been made. Basic social skills dictate that you acknowledge each other at the decision point, in that situation.
I think a lot of people saying this is fine don't understand that the world is based on relationships. You might not want this job today but you might be job hunting again in a year, or five years - and don't you think that being able to reach back out to someone like OP at that point, having left things in a friendly way, would be better than just burning that bridge?
Think beyond today. That is my best piece of advice, as an old person.
I have 20 years of experience and this situation never happened to me or my friends.
What situation has never happened to you?
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:41
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
OP isn't talking about people she's cold calling to see if they want a job. She's talking about people where there's been enough back and forth that an offer has been made. Basic social skills dictate that you acknowledge each other at the decision point, in that situation.
I think a lot of people saying this is fine don't understand that the world is based on relationships. You might not want this job today but you might be job hunting again in a year, or five years - and don't you think that being able to reach back out to someone like OP at that point, having left things in a friendly way, would be better than just burning that bridge?
Think beyond today. That is my best piece of advice, as an old person.
I have 20 years of experience and this situation never happened to me or my friends.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:40
Subject: Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Candidates are wailing about having to write cover letters when they are required for applications, but they have no idea how hard it is on the hiring side when you have an avalanche of applications from people who aren't truly serious.
Goes both ways.
Sorry we are all here, as both HM and applicant.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:37
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
OP isn't talking about people she's cold calling to see if they want a job. She's talking about people where there's been enough back and forth that an offer has been made. Basic social skills dictate that you acknowledge each other at the decision point, in that situation.
I think a lot of people saying this is fine don't understand that the world is based on relationships. You might not want this job today but you might be job hunting again in a year, or five years - and don't you think that being able to reach back out to someone like OP at that point, having left things in a friendly way, would be better than just burning that bridge?
Think beyond today. That is my best piece of advice, as an old person.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:35
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Just because you send in a resume and cover letter and they don’t follow up to contact you for an interview doesn’t mean you were “ghosted.”
Disagree. If a candidate took the time to apply to a specific job, he is effectively asking a question ("are you interested in hiring me, given my experience and qualifications?"). That candidate is owed some sort of response. A rejection form letter or a job offer (after an interview, references, etc.) would be the expected responses.
I don't necessary feel this way for a random resume that was submitted outside of the context of applying for a specific job, however.
I am not excusing the candidate here, but I am annoyed by OP's hypocrisy in expecting candidates to respond to prospective employers, but not the other way around.
Anonymous
02/28/2025 09:32
Subject: Re:Candidates ghosting potential employers
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a lack of trust and it's unfortunate.
This. Does your company send rejection letters to all rejected applicants?
If we bring them in for an interview and don't move forward with them, yes.
But you don't otherwise. So you are ghosting most people.
I suppose. I think that's totally different than ghosting a job offer though.
How so? There are two parties: one needs someone to perform a job and the other party wants to be paid to perform said job. You are not superior to the job seeker.
NP but the “how so” seems so obvious here.
If you’ve had a job interview followed by an offer with a company, and then ghost them, you are burning bridges in your own industry and they know you by name. To that HR department and any potential supervisors and colleagues you met with that day, they’ll remember you as that guy/gal who rudely dropped communication. It leaves a bitterness in the air. So when you run into them again, at a conference or at another company down the line, you may not remember them (bc why would you?) but they will remember you because ghosting is a hostile act that feels like a slap in the face when an appropriate response of “I appreciate the time I spent with your team, but after some consideration, I’ve decided to go in a different direction. Wishing you all the best of success” is quick, easy, and professional.
When a company ghosts a candidate, it’s highly unusual that this occurs after the candidate has been called in for an interview.
Just because you send in a resume and cover letter and they don’t follow up to contact you for an interview doesn’t mean you were “ghosted.” That’s like saying you were “ghosted” by everyone who didn’t choose to initiate contact with you on match.com
I don't think anyone cares very deeply about potentially running into someone at a conference years later. And if that person did carry a grudge for that long and remembers this clearly, it's a little odd! Anyone who has been looking for a job lately knows that ghosting is rampant, and yes, can happen after interviews. As someone else mentioned as well, you also never know if something happened to the person in their actual, real life, such as an illness or family issue.