Meet the Mentor: Senior Mentor Tom Pauk on ghosting

We sat down with our Senior Mentor to address the problem of applicants who don’t hear back

FW: From your perspective as a Senior Mentor, how widespread is the phenomenon of ghosting now — and how does it compare to even five years ago?

TP: Regrettably, ghosting by employers has become the “new normal” compared with say five years ago. And it’s not just confined to employers. We’ve seen plenty of examples of recruitment consultants meeting candidates to discuss a career brief or a specific role but then disappearing mid-conversation, despite repeated efforts to contact them.

Ghosting can of course occur the other way around, ie. when an applicant fails to advise an employer that they’ve found a better opportunity elsewhere.

Regardless of who is doing it, our position here at Finito is that ghosting, whatever its implied or stated justification, is unkind, unfair and unhelpful, with an invariably negative impact for those on the receiving end.

It’s also worth adding that some employers take so long to notify applicants they’re not progressing an application (months, in some cases) that the prolonged delay is tantamount to ghosting; in effect, applicants are held in limbo, never quite knowing whether their application has, or has not, been definitively rejected.

What do you see as the primary causes of ghosting by employers at different recruitment stages, from online tests to final-round interviews?

Some employers claim that the sheer number of applications they receive prevents them from responding to every candidate, if only to advise that they won’t be progressing the application.

Other factors may include an ever-increasing reliance on automation of submissions at the expense of human interaction; and a growing shift towards remote hiring leading to poor or no communication coupled with diminished accountability.

It may also be that some employers prefer not to deliver bad news, hoping, presumably, that candidates will “get the message” by not delivering any news at all.

At Finito we’ve also noted the growing tendency of employers not to provide candidates with feedback alongside a rejection. And where feedback is provided, it’s often so generic (ie. general reflections on why some applications were preferred over others) that there’s nothing of practical value to be gleaned that might strengthen a candidate’s future applications.

How does prolonged silence from employers affect candidates psychologically, especially those entering the workforce for the first time?

There’s an obvious loss of morale and motivation. And as the vast majority of candidates apply for multiple opportunities, the on-going silence can have a cumulative, crushing impact; candidates feel as if there’s a dark cloud hanging over them, ie. that it’s deeply personal, even when it patently is not.

Are there particular personality types or backgrounds that seem especially vulnerable to the effects of ghosting?

Anecdotally, my sense is that candidates who are prone to self-doubt and anxiety are likely to be more impacted by being ghosted than others. An obvious example is the current generation of job seekers whose education was most impacted by successive pandemic lockdowns. Having said that, none of us likes to be ignored, especially when we’ve invested so much time and energy in applying for a job.

What practical steps can candidates take when they’ve been ghosted — both to protect their mental wellbeing and to keep their job search productive?

First, keep on reminding yourself that it’s NOT personal, that in these most challenging of times securing a new job has become a lottery, compounded by the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence recruitment tools that process applications in a microsecond.  Try not to take algorithms personally (after all, they don’t take you personally!)

Second, do try and extract whatever learnings you can from applications that did not progress. Ask a trusted colleague or friend to read your CVs and cover letters, consider how they could be more closely aligned with each role applied for; remember, one size does not fit all.

Do you think employers fully appreciate the emotional and reputational damage caused by ghosting, or is this still a blind spot in hiring culture?

A blind spot. I’m hopeful, however, that we may, over time, move away from the current corrosive state of affairs towards a more personalised, empathetic recruitment process.

Have you seen cases where ghosting directly caused talented candidates to leave their chosen sector or rethink their whole career path?

Sadly, yes. A cumulative loss of morale and self-esteem can prompt a (as yet thankfully small) proportion of candidates to give up their long-held career aspirations. Some mentees question why they should bother applying for a job when chances are they’re unlikely to ever hear back let alone receive any feedback. Although I’ve some sympathy for this sentiment, resilience in the face of rejection is essential in the pursuit of employment.

Does AI-driven recruitment exacerbate ghosting by increasing distance between employers and candidates?

Self-evidently, yes. We now find ourselves in the curious position of candidates using AI to apply for jobs (drafting cover letters, personal statements and CVs) only to be rejected (either explicitly or by being ghosted) by the very same technology. In effect, no human being has been involved at either end of the application!

What responsibility do large employers have to guard against ghosting — and what would best-practice communication look like?

All employers, big and small, should undertake to respond to all applications, as soon as practicable, and ideally with granular feedback as to why a given application was not progressed.

At Finito, how do you help candidates rebuild confidence after being repeatedly ghosted?

We’re always scrupulously honest and realistic with our candidates from the get-go, reminding them that the road to meaningful employment will be a challenging one, that they’re increasingly unlikely to hear back from employers let alone receive feedback, even after securing an interview or attending an assessment centre or vacation scheme.

And so it all comes back to building resilience and maintaining energy and momentum; dusting oneself off from the most recent rejection and preparing thoroughly for the next application … and the next, and the next after that, as often as it takes.

Each (inferred or explicit) rejection represents, nevertheless, a learning experience for the candidate, on to this end we work with them on improving their game, eg more compelling cover letters, CVs that are more closely aligned to to each role applied for,  and more rigorous interview practice.

I remind my mentees that one day, after they’ve secured that elusive job, they’ll reflect back on the process with satisfaction, perhaps even with a degree of nostalgia!