Why You Shouldn’t ‘Ghost’ a Potential Employer/Recruiter 👻
👻 What does it mean to ‘ghost’ someone?
Ghosting is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone, by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.
Usually associated with dating, ghosting also happens in the workplace and is becoming increasingly common among candidates. 76% of job seekers have ‘ghosted’ an employer/potential employer, even though 68% of them were concerned about the negative consequences this might entail.
This blog will look at why you might find yourself ‘ghosting’ a potential employer, the negative implications, and what you should do instead…
👻 Why you may ‘ghost’ a potential employer:
Although there is usually never a reason to ‘ghost’ a potential employer, or recruiter, many candidates do. The top reasons for this are:
💰 The salary offered is too low
😍 You receive a more attractive job offer
🤔 The job ad/spec doesn’t align with the job role
👎 The business has a bad reputation/reviews
😑 You dislike the perceived work culture
Sometimes you will apply or be offered a role that fits into one of the above, and although it can be frustrating, this isn’t a reason to end all communication.
It is always best to inform your recruitment consultant, or hiring manager, that you no longer wish to continue with the process. If you then choose to ignore any following communication, at least you have let them know.
👻 Why you SHOULDN’T ‘ghost’ a potential employer:
Apart from it being unprofessional, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t ‘ghost’ a potential employer.
Here are our top 3 reasons:
❌ Tarnish your reputation
❌ Won’t be recommended for other roles by the recruiter
❌ There may be future roles you wish to apply for at the same company
You could tarnish your reputation:
Recruiters and hiring managers are very well-networked, and word-of-mouth can tarnish your reputation. If other businesses find out you have a habit of ghosting potential employers, companies will refuse to work with you. This can make it very difficult to secure future roles, as you’ll be deemed untrustworthy, and unprofessional.
Recruiters won’t recommend you for other roles:
Recruiters work for both the client and candidate and when you ghost a recruiter, it can paint them in a negative light to their client. To prevent this from happening again, and to ensure clients don’t lose faith, a recruiter is highly unlikely to recommend you for any roles that they’re working on. This can be especially unfortunate if the recruiter is working exclusively on a role you want to apply for. Without their recommendation, you won’t be considered for the role.
There may be future roles you wish to apply for:
The same company that offered you a salary that was too low or didn’t quite offer you the role you were hoping for, may one day have the exact job you want. However, if you’ve ghosted them previously, your CV won’t even land on the hiring manager’s desk. Therefore, it is so important to look at the bigger picture when you decide to ghost a potential employer/recruiter.
👻 What you should do if you no longer want to continue with the process:
When it comes to an interview, recruitment process, or job offer, instead of ‘ghosting’, you could try this:
- Thank the recruiter/hiring manager for considering you
- Explain you have decided to go in another direction/decline the offer
- Make it clear you will be unable to continue with the process
- Apologise for any inconvenience you may have caused
- Wish them luck/thank them again
For example:
“Thank you for taking the time to consider me, and for the opportunity to interview with you, I really appreciate it. However, I have made the decision to go in another direction and so will be unable to interview with you. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused and wish you luck in finding the best talent for the role.”
👻 Conclusion…
No matter where you are in the recruitment process, it’s important you respect the hiring manager. Ghosting can have a long-lasting effect on your career aspirations, so it’s always worth being open and honest, and if a role isn’t for you then that is fine. Maintaining relationships is more important than tarnishing them.
