Are you getting ghosted by recruiters?

We have all been there! Hunting for a job can be hectic, and getting ghosted by recruiters is just icing on the cake.

In an episode of Workwise, Vikas Dua, Head of People at Weber Shandwick delved deeply into this topic, shedding light on why it happens and how candidates can navigate it.

Inspired by his insightful discussion, this article explores the nuances of recruiter ghosting and offers practical tips to tackle it effectively.

What is Recruiter Ghosting?

According to Dua, Ghosting refers to a recruiter breaking off contact with a candidate midway through the selection process, suddenly disappearing without explanation.

This is distinct from simply not hearing back after initially applying and can occur at various stages - after phone screenings, assessments, or even interviews.

Essentially, ghosting is any unexplained loss of communication from the recruiter during the hiring process.

What Causes A Recruiter To Ghost?

Dua says,

“I feel that in India, we are not attuned as individuals to give negative feedback or bad news.”

Let us reiterate that ghosting is condoned in no shape or form.

That being said, let’s find out the reasons why a recruiter ghosts you,

High bulk applications

To this Dua states,

“The moment a recruiter posts a job as an organization within hours, they're likely to get hit by hundreds of CVs.

Now, a recruiter can't touch base with each one of those candidates, take them through the process, and keep updating them at each stage.”

This high-volume situation is a key driver behind why recruiters sometimes ghost candidates - not because they want to, but because the logistical realities make it nearly impossible to maintain personalized communication at that scale.

Lack of clarity internally

Dua adds that another common reason for ghosting occurs when hiring managers provide vague or unclear feedback to recruiters.

When recruiters don't receive specific feedback about why a candidate isn't suitable, they struggle to communicate meaningfully with candidates.

It's particularly frustrating when hiring managers use subjective phrases like "they're not the right fit" without further explanation.

Without concrete feedback, recruiters are left unable to provide candidates with meaningful updates or constructive feedback.

Hiring gets postponed

Another probable cause of recruiter ghosting occurs when companies unexpectedly pause hiring due to budget cuts, market conditions, or restructuring, and recruiters find themselves in a difficult position.

They often lack clear information about when hiring will resume and may be instructed to maintain confidentiality about internal challenges.

Rather than provide uncertain or misleading updates to candidates, many recruiters opt for silence, though a simple acknowledgment of delays would be more professional.

Cultural context

Dua also shares that in the Indian corporate culture, there's a notable discomfort with delivering negative news.

While recruiters eagerly share positive outcomes, they often avoid difficult conversations about rejections. This cultural tendency to side-step uncomfortable situations leads many recruiters to ghost candidates rather than directly communicate bad news.

It's a cultural aversion to confrontation that translates into professional avoidance, making it the third significant reason for ghosting in the recruitment process.

Complicated hiring process

Finally, complicated hiring processes often lead to ghosting due to multiple stakeholders and approval stages.

Communication tends to break down when recruiters coordinate between hiring managers, department heads, HR teams, and various assessments.

With numerous decision-makers involved, simple processes stretch into lengthy waiting periods. Recruiters, often stuck waiting for feedback themselves, may choose silence over providing uncertain updates to candidates.

Dua adds,

“The root issue comes back to managing high volumes of recruitment activity efficiently. Without a robust automated system that can capture hiring managers' feedback and automatically relay it to candidates, it's nearly impossible to maintain consistent communication. Manual processes simply can't handle the scale of modern recruitment effectively.”

Things To Do When You Face Recruiter Ghosting

To this Dua states that the most effective way to address this issue is for candidates to take a proactive approach when connecting with recruiters.

“I would suggest that candidates ask direct questions about the timeline of the recruitment process, such as how long it is expected to take, when they can anticipate feedback, and in what format the feedback will be given.”

Dua continues,

“By encouraging the recruiter to provide a clear timeline, candidates help set boundaries and expectations, which recruiters are more likely to follow rather than leaving things open-ended with vague promises to 'get back.' This approach subtly pressures the recruiter to keep candidates informed of progress and updates at each stage of the process.”

Additionally, candidates should ask if and how they might follow up, and in what form the recruiter prefers to communicate.

Email is the most professional way to follow up with recruiters when you've been ghosted. Keep your message brief and contextual.

Wait about 3-4 working days between each follow-up and limit yourself to a maximum of three attempts. This approach maintains professionalism while giving recruiters reasonable time to respond.

What NOT To Do When You Follow Up

Dua adds,

“A concerning occurrence in recruitment is when candidates, particularly male candidates, cross professional boundaries by making personal comments (like remarking on profile pictures) while asking about job updates. This behavior can be interpreted as stalking and is completely inappropriate.”

The recruiter-candidate relationship must remain strictly professional. While the recruitment process isn't perfect, candidates must respect professional boundaries.

Making personal comments or advances during a professional interaction is unacceptable and can make recruiters, especially female recruiters, uncomfortable.

Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries is crucial for both parties throughout the hiring process, regardless of any frustrations with delays or communication gaps.

Conclusion

Dealing with recruiter ghosting? Listen to Naukri Workwise podcast for expert insights on this and other career challenges!

Career Guide