4 Ways to Keep Candidates from “Ghosting” You

Hiring managers and recruiters are losing candidates— sometimes without a trace. This is popularly referred to as “ghosting”, but these are far from your friendly neighborhood kids in Halloween costumes. SHRM reports that in the hospitality industry ghosting rates are as high as 50%. However, it is also happening at the Executive level, causing embarrassing situations for hiring managers. This could be considered a precedent set by hiring managers over the past 5 years, when it became common for employers to leave candidates hanging after lengthy screening and interview processes. Furthermore, in a strong candidate’s market with an abundance of opportunities, candidates are making job decisions faster than ever. Below are 4 ways to combat the rise of ghosting.

Make Your Best Offer First

Be sure to make your best offer right out of the gate, and be informed on current salary trends. Salary surveys are often unable to keep up with the speed of the market. One strategy is to use Indeed to search similar job titles in your local market to get a scope of what salaries look like in your area. You can often get the median of several hundred current openings. On average, we saw a 9% increase last year for candidates moving into new direct hire positions. While salaries can be shocking for some positions, if you are not paying top dollar for good candidates, you are much more likely to lose people to ghosting.

Speed up Onboarding

The time between when a job offer is accepted and an employee’s start date is critical. According to a survey by USA Today, businesses report losing 20-50% of applicants at some point during the onboarding process. During this time, candidates could receive a counter-offer from their previous employer or take another, more attractive job offer. Onboarding can be kept engaging by offering perks like welcome packages and lunches where new hire information can be distributed. Onboarding can be streamlined by digitalizing forms and handbooks so that employees can sign or print them in advance. Investing in good hiring technology can help keep your process moving efficiently. A good applicant tracking system can help save time and also helps to maintain a line of communication during the application and onboarding process.

Simplify the Interview Process

It’s important to interview candidates efficiently in order to keep their interest and engagement for the duration of the process. Be sure to have a set process with a set number of interviews with specific levels of management. Also, be sure that your managers will be available until the end of the interview process before you even begin. The scheduling of an interview itself can be a common speedbump, and too much back and forth between employers and candidates can draw out the process. This can be avoided by sharing calendars or using interview scheduling software. Employers may need to be flexible if face-to-face availability is limited. Interviews may need to be held after a candidate’s normal working hours. Initial interviews can also be completed with Skype or other video chat platforms. If interviews can’t be completed in a timely manner, candidates could lose interest and drop off the map. The interview process is an extremely important first impression of your company.

Improve Candidate Experience

In order to keep candidates engaged and interested in the job, it’s important to check in with them often. Communication contributes to a better candidate experience which makes candidates more likely to stick with you through the process. If too much time passes without following up, a candidate may think you are no longer interested. A candidate is more likely to move on and seek a different opportunity for fear of being rejected. They will often ghost you before you have the chance. You can become aware of other opportunities on your candidate’s radar before you lose contact with them. It’s important to assess the risk of losing your candidate to another opportunity or a counter-offer, and then stress the benefits of your opportunity over others. It’s also best to communicate the specifics of the job in the beginning to make sure the candidate is a fit in the first place. If a candidate realizes somewhere down the line that they’re not a fit, you’ll lose them after you’ve invested time and resources into screening them. A good candidate experience is key when it comes to avoiding ghosting.

In a tight candidate market, it’s more common than ever to experience “ghosting” and lose candidates without a trace. However, there are a few things that can be done to keep candidates interested and engaged in order to reduce the risk that they will disappear during the hiring process.

Bradley Staffing Group is a full-service staffing firm based in Wayne, PA. We are committed to matching A-level talent with best-in-class businesses. Our knowledgeable and well-trained staff brings a combined 70+ years of staffing experience to our clients and candidates alike. http://bradleystaffinggroup.com/bradley/contact-us/