Why Ghosting Job Candidates Damages Your Employer Brand

Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

While the term ‘ghosting’ is rooted in the modern dating world, it has woven its way into the recruiting landscape.

Recruiters are inundated with a lot of tasks and find it quite difficult to handle the high volume of applications that come through. On the other hand, job seekers expect recruiters to keep them updated throughout the application process. Besides, after pre-employment tests and multiple rounds of interviews with hiring professionals, candidates need closure so they can get back on their job-hunting bandwagon if they are being rejected. It can be quite discouraging to be hit by silence after all the effort.

But it looks like the etiquette of sending a rejection letter has lost its way. 75 percent of applicants never hear back from employers after applying for a job, and sixty percent never hear back from employers after an interview.

A great number of hiring managers only focus on onboarding the successful candidates and leave the rest to draw their own conclusions. But let’s not forget, a trawl through the Glassdoor website indicates that ghosting job candidates could tarnish you company brand’s reputation.

Candidate Ghosting Worsens During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Many disgruntled job seekers complain that their follow-up emails are ignored by the Human Resources team, leaving them to suffer in silence. In fact, job positions that recruiters were actively trying to fill initially are no longer available due to company-wide freezes on recruitment after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indeed found that a whopping 77% of job seekers say they’ve been ghosted by a prospective employer since the onset of the pandemic, with 10% reporting that an employer has ghosted them even after a verbal job offer was presented to them.

A survey by CareerBuilder revealed that 42% of workers said they would never seek employment with the company again if they were displeased with the way their application was handled and another twenty two per cent said they would tell others not to work there.

So what’s the lesson for hiring professionals? Don’t disregard the power of strong candidate communication and the business impact of a little courtesy.

The Perils of Ghosting Job Candidates

  • Risk Losing Customers

Customer experience is paramount, and it only takes one negative experience to turn a lifelong customer into a lost customer. Even when a particular job seeker may be unfit for your organization, they may be a patron of your business.

In a study, 32% of job seekers reported they are less likely to purchase a product from a company that didn’t respond to their job application. Recruiters should remember that they represent their brand every time they interact with someone on behalf of their organization.

Whether you hire an individual or not, providing a positive candidate experience can help ensure that your applicants remain loyal customers.

  • Harm Your Company’s Reputation

Word gets out and people talk. They not only talk about your organizational brand but also about your employer brand. However, your talent pipeline is likely to shrink once the word spreads in the marketplace about your company ghosting applicants– whether verbally or online. According to a study, twenty two percent of job seekers said they would tell others not to work for an unresponsive organization.

Candidates’ experience of a difficult or unsatisfactory hiring process dissuades potential candidates from working for your company. Since job candidates tend to post negative reviews online of your business on various social media networks, your company’s reputation as an employer of choice is severely damaged after ghosting job candidates.

  • Make Marginalized Job Seekers Even More Invisible

Applicants from low-income background or a racial minority may already feel like they are unnoticed. In such a situation where a person is struggling with low self-esteem, it takes a lot of courage to fill out a job application and put themselves out there for employment.

For the marginalized job seekers, landing a high-paying job is a way to feel valued. When you ghost 90% of your applicant pool, your company perpetuates the idea that these individuals don’t matter.

Communicating with job seekers during all the phases of the hiring process is necessary to keep the momentum of your recruitment marketing strategy. In a nutshell, ghosting job candidates doesn’t only narrow down your talent pipeline but also hurts your employer brand.

LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND?

Take your recruitment to the next level by employing gamification. Get a free demo call to discuss your hiring objective right now.

Stay Connected

Get more news or tips about HR technology, specifically gamified recruitment
by subscribing to our bi-weekly newsletter.


There’s more to read

  • Labor Day Reflections: HR Initiatives for a Positive Workplace Culture

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    September 4, 2023

  • Why Creating a Great Recruiter Experience Matters

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    August 7, 2021

  • Podcast: Paul Keijzer talks about gamified assessments on The Adrian Tan Show

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    February 10, 2022

  • 11 Dumbest Mistakes Candidates Make During Online Assessments

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    March 6, 2020

  • C-Factor Gamified Assessment Platform

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    June 12, 2020

  • Socially Distanced, Virtually Engaged: Recruitment in the Age of COVID-19

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    May 8, 2020

  • LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW: HR Digital Today Features The Talent Games

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    December 13, 2019

  • Why Hiring Multiskilled Employees is the Need of the Hour

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    September 20, 2021

  • Using ChatGPT for Recruitment and Insights from HR Experts

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    February 10, 2023

  • Top HR Tech Trends 2024 to take your Recruitment to Next Level

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    January 1, 2023

  • How Companies Are Nailing Social Media For Recruiting Millennial Talent

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    February 21, 2020

  • Innovative Ways of Recruiting Graduates In 2023

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    January 9, 2023

  • Building & Maintaining Your Employer Brand on Social Media

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    March 12, 2021

  • Use of AI to Eliminate Bias from the Recruitment Process

    Written By admin

    November 26, 2019

  • Finding the Right Candidate in an Employer-Driven Market

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    July 24, 2021

  • How to Leverage a Full Spectrum of Talent Assessments

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    August 13, 2020

  • Year-in-Review 2023: Our Milestones & Achievements

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    January 17, 2024

  • 8 Effective Tips For Reducing Recruitment Cost

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    February 6, 2023

  • Forbes Article: What To Look For In A Gamified Recruitment Platform

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    July 3, 2020

  • Why Gender Diversity in the Workplace Is Important

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    October 29, 2020

  • Soft Skills in the Workplace — All You Need to Know

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    April 9, 2021

  • Global Talent Shortage 2024: Recruiters Guide to Attract Top Talent

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    March 6, 2023

  • INFOGRAPHIC: Evolving Your Campus Recruitment with Gamified Assessments

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 20, 2021

  • Building Your Millennial Employer Brand with Gamified Assessments

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 28, 2019

  • Top 6 Skills Employers Look for in Fresh Graduates

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    August 21, 2021

  • The Talent Games to Host a Workshop at the Largest Independent TA...

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    September 22, 2020

  • Embracing Equity: Celebrating Women’s Day at the Workplace

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    March 8, 2023

  • Top HR Trends That Will Rule 2021 And Beyond

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    January 28, 2021

  • Campus Recruiting with Online Gamified Talent Assessments

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    April 4, 2020

  • How to Create More Successful Entry-Level Hiring with Gamification

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    April 22, 2022

  • 2020 Year-In-Review – Our Milestones & Accomplishments

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    February 17, 2021

  • News: The Talent Games featured in the Singapore HR Tech Market Map...

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    April 2, 2020

  • How to Give Graduate Recruitment a New Spin with Gamification

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    March 24, 2022

  • The Talent Games Shines Bright at HR Vendors of the Year 2023...

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    December 19, 2023

  • 10 Ways Recruitment Games Can Improve Your Candidate Experience

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    November 29, 2019

  • How to Make Better Talent Decisions with AI-Driven Predictive Analytics

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    September 9, 2020

  • 2022 HR Trends: What to Watch Out for

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    December 31, 2021

  • 7 Benefits of Gamified Hiring for Candidates in 2024 and Beyond

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    August 8, 2023

  • Candidate Experience: Everything You Need To Know

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    June 6, 2020

  • Tech Tiptoes into HR – The Rise of HR Tech

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    February 27, 2020

  • Diversity Hiring: How to Build Your Company’s Diverse Talent Pipeline

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    July 11, 2020

  • Millennial Recruitment: Use of Gamified Assessments [Infographic]

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 12, 2019

  • Employee Wellbeing: From Burnout to Flourishing in the Modern Workplace

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    July 27, 2023

  • How to Use AI for Bulk Recruitment

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    October 1, 2020

  • ROI of Gamified Assessments For Recruiters [Infographic]

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    March 29, 2020

  • INFOGRAPHIC: Unconscious Bias in Recruitment

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    April 24, 2020

  • Press Release: The Talent Games Embarks on Cloud Journey with SAP

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    October 14, 2021

  • Ultimate Candidate Experience Checklist For Recruiters

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    October 26, 2020

  • Surviving the Great Resignation: How Gamified Assessments Can Help Attract Top Talent

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 12, 2021

  • Invest in Women: Your Key to Building High-Performing Teams

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    March 7, 2024

  • Contactless Hiring: The New Normal in Talent Acquisition

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    August 31, 2020

  • Why Gamified Assessments Can Be Your Best Employer Branding Weapon in 2022

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    January 14, 2022

  • Global Diversity Awareness: Impact on Team Collaboration

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    October 16, 2023

  • Digital Assessment Tools: The Special Sauce for Hiring Millennials

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    April 18, 2020

  • INFOGRAPHIC: Source, Track, Hire from Home During COVID-19 Crisis

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    June 30, 2020

  • Nurture Future Leaders for Long Term Success in 2024

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    August 28, 2023

  • Combating the She-Cession: How to Attract and Hire More Women

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    July 9, 2021

  • How Recruitment Marketing Can Transform Your Hiring Process

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    June 11, 2021

  • How To Prevent Cheating In Online Assessments

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    July 24, 2020

  • Recruitment in Metaverse — Necessity, not an option

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    January 6, 2023

  • Measuring Emotional Intelligence in Recruitment

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    February 14, 2021

  • The Talent Games’ Gamified Assessments Now Available on SAP® Store

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    March 3, 2023

  • Psychometric Assessments for Hiring in 2024

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    April 3, 2023

  • Neuroscience in Hiring: How to Tap Directly into the Candidate Brain

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    April 12, 2022

  • Does ‘Culture Fit’ Perpetuate Bias in Hiring?

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    November 11, 2020

  • Building the Future Workforce: How Internship Awareness Month Can Help

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    April 18, 2023

  • Attract, Engage and Hire Millennials with Gamified Hiring Platform

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 27, 2020

  • YEAR IN REVIEW: A Glimpse at Milestones achieved in 2022

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    January 12, 2023

  • The Staggering Cost of a Bad Hire (And How to Avoid It)

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    June 28, 2021

  • HIRING CANDIDATES USING HR TECHNOLOGY INCREASES ROI – SURVEY REPORT 2019

    Written By admin

    November 25, 2019

  • Gamification in Recruiting: Everything You Need to Know

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    April 11, 2020

  • Digitizing the Recruitment Process amid COVID-19 Outbreak

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    March 18, 2020

  • Assessing Problem-Solving Skills in Your Potential Hires

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    January 22, 2022

  • Recruiting during the Pandemic: How to Engage Passive Candidates

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    November 23, 2020

  • Pre-Employment Testing & Screening Assessments: A Comprehensive Guide

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    March 13, 2020

  • Recruitment Technology Roadmap: Picking the Right Tool

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    March 19, 2022

  • How to Use Gamified Assessments as a Candidate Screening Tool

    Written By admin

    November 27, 2019

  • Why a Mobile-First Recruitment Strategy is Critical for Hiring Millennials

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    May 18, 2020

  • INFOGRAPHIC: How to Raise Your Hiring Game with a Robust Employer Brand

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    May 12, 2022

  • How Recruitment Technology Can Keep Your Unconscious Biases Aside

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    August 7, 2020

  • How Cognitive Ability Tests Can Help You Accurately Predict Job Performance

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    September 3, 2021

  • Full Cycle Recruiting: The Modern Recruiter’s Guide

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    October 31, 2021

  • Case Study Interviews – How to Crack the Code

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    June 2, 2022

  • The Talent Games Accepted into ventureLAB’s Accelerate AI Cohort 3

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    February 9, 2024

  • How Gamified Assessments Help Facilitate Hiring of Differently-Abled Employees

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    December 9, 2021

  • Forbes Article: Boosting Your Employer Brand To Fuel Talent Acquisition

    Written By admin

    February 24, 2021

  • Press Release: Paul Keijzer – CEO of The Talent Games accepted into...

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    April 20, 2020

  • How to Survive the Era of Digital Darwinism with HR Technology

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    October 20, 2021

  • How to Maximize Hiring Impact with Cognitive Ability Testing

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    September 18, 2023

  • 7 top Reasons to Gamify Work Performance Evaluation

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    February 2, 2024

  • Recruiting and Hiring in Today’s Ever-Evolving World of Work

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    June 23, 2022

  • Hiring Gen Z? Here’s What You Need to Keep in Mind

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    June 2, 2021

  • Black History Month: How to Reduce Racial Bias in Hiring

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    February 19, 2022

  • News: The Talent Games gets featured in the Singapore HR Tech Market...

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    May 22, 2021

  • Why Pre-Employment Critical Thinking Tests are So Important

    Written By Daniyal Wali

    September 28, 2021

  • PRESS RELEASE: The Talent Games wins 5 prestigious awards in 3 categories...

    Written By admin

    December 7, 2022

  • INFOGRAPHIC: Neurodiversity in the Workplace

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    March 18, 2023

  • Tips & Tricks to Ace Your Video Interview

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    April 25, 2021

  • Data-Driven Talent Acquisition

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    June 22, 2020

  • Situational Judgement Tests 2024: Most Strategic Hiring Approach

    Written By Jawad Junejo

    September 5, 2023

  • Realistic Job Preview: Giving Candidates Insight into the Role

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    November 28, 2021

  • Press Release: The Talent Games Winning The “Best Candidate Experience” Award

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    July 27, 2020

  • Celebrating Women’s Day at Workplace

    Written By Neha Ahmed

    March 4, 2022

  • Forbes: How Gamification Can Enhance Your Candidate Experience

    Written By The Talent Games Marketing Team

    May 29, 2020

Leave a Reply

avatar
  Subscribe  
Notify of