For industries in nearly every market, the balance of power between candidate and recruiter is changing. Applicants have more power now than they ever have, and as a result, many don’t reply to employers who reach out. 

Any seasoned HR veteran could tell you that a certain amount of no-shows are expected at every stage of the hiring process — but that doesn’t mean it stings any less. Every candidate that doesn’t continue messaging HR or no-shows their interview wastes resources. Avoiding that is in the best interest of every company.

Today we’ll be discussing why candidates ghost potential employers, and how organizations can prevent these losses of talent and resources.

Reasons Why Candidates Ghost Employers

Most of the time, candidates ghosting employers is a result of a poor candidate experience. Let’s take a look at a few specific instances that may lead to candidates vanishing.

The Company Doesn’t Stand Out

The digital age has made it easier than ever to apply to positions. Job boards place jobs in front of candidates by the hundreds, and sending off a resume is as easy as a few clicks. Most candidates have multiple applications active at one time. If your company doesn’t stand out from the rest, prospective talent might ignore you in favor of a more defined organization.

Information Isn’t Readily Available

After applicants have passed the screening process and are asked to interview, there’s a brief waiting period. This is a dangerous time. If your candidate doesn’t have anyone that they can rely on to answer questions, they’re more likely to be overwhelmed and ghost you. 

Lack of Communication From Employer

A lack of communication from an organization and/or long wait times between messages can be disheartening to an applicant —  they may feel like they’ve been ghosted themselves. When this happens, most will simply cut their losses and move on given the number of other opportunities available. 

Once the organization does reach out, the candidate will usually not respond, as the relationship will have soured in their mind—or they may already be interviewing elsewhere.

How to Prevent Candidate Ghosting

While it may be impossible to completely stop ghosting, here are a few key ways to improve the candidate experience and make your candidates far less likely to ghost you.

Focus on Your Employer Brand

What is your company’s mission and goals? How does it differ from other businesses, and where does it stand out the most? Answering these questions and broadcasting those answers on all platforms will instill a sense of purpose in your applicants. They’ll know what they’re signing up for, and get an idea of what working for your organization would be like right off the bat. 

A strong employer brand can prevent your company from falling by the wayside as well. Having satisfied veteran employees creates a welcoming image and solidifies your company culture.

Add AI Chatbot Software to Your Site

Having information readily available to candidates 24/7 will make sure that they feel in the loop and feeling ready. AI chatbots are the most popular way to dispense information to candidates and customers alike — and for good reason. A good chatbot — such as PandoLogic’s Wendy — can engage in near-human level discussion, is objective and concise, and is always available to those who need assistance.

Don’t Ghost Rejected Candidates

Letting candidates know that they didn’t quite make the cut is key to maintaining contact after a new hire. A response shows that you respect their time, and applicants will make note of that. If you feel a previously rejected candidate would fit a different position, you can reach out to them later, and are much more likely to get a response. 

Utilize AI Software For Communications

Notifying your candidates of their status can be a monotonous process if done manually. Sending tens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual emails takes time — but shooting out a generic message to everyone can make talent feel unvalued. 

AI software can send personalized emails to your candidates, preventing an adverse reaction to generated contact. Good software can not only notify candidates about their status, but can set up interviews, collect data, and confirm whether the talent is still interested. 

At PandoLogic, our AI recruiting tools are crafted to create results, while being easy to use and budget-friendly. The suite of recruitment software options we’ve developed can assist during every step of the recruitment process — and keep candidates communicative and excited for work.