Forget about ghosting dates. It’s happening in the job market, too

Employers say that they can’t find applicants with the right job skills. How about responding to the ones who have applied, even if the answer is no?

About 80% of hiring managers admit to “ghosting” applicants, according to a recent survey by Resume Genius, an online résumé building service. Among job seekers, the job site Indeed reported last year that 78% of applicants said they had ghosted a prospective employer, up from 68% in 2022.

These numbers say a lot about the modern workplace, and none of it is good. An overwhelming majority of job seekers and recruiters suddenly cut off communications without so much as a text or email, presumably in the hope that the ghosted will get the hint. In an era of almost instantaneous communication, avoidance somehow has become standard operating practice. It is not a good look for companies or job seekers, and is the epitome of burning bridges.

A lot of reasons are behind this trend. An applicant got another job or had a change of heart. The company is bureaucratic and indecisive, found an internal candidate, repurposed or froze the slot. Still, what’s so hard about saying “maybe next time”?

Automated recruiting processes also add to the talent acquisition problem, according to Harvard Business School researchers. The systems sort and reject applicants whose résumés don’t mesh with keywords and the company’s search algorithms. Often, job seekers with transferable skills aren’t flagged as potential hires and end up unemployed or underemployed, a setback for businesses and would-be employees.

The job market is crazy and demanding. Hiring is complex and expensive. Job hunting is a marathon. A nod to etiquette might make a tough situation better.

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