How to Prevent Candidate Ghosting: Tips for Keeping Them Engaged
The clock has finally caught up to acknowledge the fact that we are transitioning to a fresher and rejuvenated world. The good ol’ days of living life uncomplicatedly are no longer an option as Gen Z has entered the chat; quite literally. The newer generation of people carry a whim about themselves, don’t they? A fresh and renewed
ray of hope to pop culture.’ Not only do they carry a tinge of style, but they have also reinvented the wheel of English vocabulary. I mean, it is pretty sus innit! It is never too late to jump on the bandwagon to learn these terms!
Although there has been a paradigm shift in many facets of our lives, certain issues have remained perennial. One such problem that has persistently hindered the morale of HR teams is that a candidate is not reverting back. For the Gen Z readers, we meant, companies getting ‘ghosted’ or ‘getting left on read’ following a few rounds of an interview. Lowkey tough! Although it’s not always a candidate’s fault. I mean, who would ghost a ten out of ten for no reason whatsoever? Upon pondering why this happens, we identified the common cases. Problems that stems during an interview and arises after. It is down to various reasons, such as not aligning with the company ethos, disputes in pay, obscurity in their respective roles, and many other reasons. But is this all the applicant’s fault? Absolutely not! It’s about time we addressed the elephant in the room: the organization and its people.
Yes, you read that right: the ambiguity and dubiousness imposed on the candidate by being unresponsive, vague, and unsettling pushes the potential candidate into a state of incertitude and creates apprehension. This organization and its people’ people-induced misunderstanding perpetuates in the vying party seeking better options while being put on hold and eventually getting ‘ghosted.’ A bridge that requires crossing. Check out how efficient retention strategies can prevent candidate ghosting.
Who Faces these Challenges?
Organizations across different verticals face this hiring challenge. Just ask the recruitment teams of Tech companies, retail industries, and healthcare. They have been left to chew their brains off to wonder what they have done wrong to deserve the treatment of being unturned. These hiring challenges often arise in places that are dominant and unapologetic; adversity will always find its way. As they say, every strength has its shadow. To conquer these perils and prevent candidate ghosting, let’s look at some of the time-tested and proven methods of avoiding this.
5 Tips to Prevent Candidate Ghosting
Let’s look at these five enduring and reliable strategies that could help your organization inculcate.
- Implement a System.
Be it in sports or in the corporate outlook; the system is always bigger than the individual. We urge more organizations to work towards introducing a system under which everybody comes in. It is believed that an organization that fails to capture employees or lacks retention strategies is run haphazardly. If you’re scratching your head and wondering how imposing a structure alone could prevent candidate ghosting? It wouldn’t guarantee you that, but there’s a whole lot that could change. By establishing a framework of taking care of your candidates we mean to automate emails reminding them about the interview and thanking them for attending and by assigning individuals whose sole responsibility would be to handle the candidates after the interviews are done. It is often believed that silence should be taken as a direct rejection and people tend to lose interest in following up; if you could assign a person to oversee this to respond fastidiously and to personalize outreach your organization would muster a lot more respect. Finally, create a funnel that filters out the candidates who may seem half-baked or unprepared. Roll out a strategy and apply methodology.
- Set Clear Expectations.
More often than not about 70% of freshers lack the confidence to face an interview. We were taught in school to balance chemical formulas and to integrate derivative formulas, but I reckon the handbook to life was left unopened as they might have pushed us to play it by ear. After all, experience is the greatest teacher. In interviews, the candidate could find themselves stuck at a crossroads, which could be owing to various aspects such as their defined roles, pay structure, lack of work-life balance, etc. The hardest part is to decipher what one might be thinking behind their skin, and as a precaution to avoid someone who could be indecisive, the interviewers must set the bar right! They must be transparent and concise about everything one would consider before landing a job. During an interview, if a candidate seems to be somebody that wouldn’t fit like a glove, nor could they be molded into one, it’s better to openly say it and not have them wait for a callback. Remember, ‘we will get back to you’ was coined by the ones that never get back! Set the bar right, and be blunt!
- Build a Rapport and Provide Constant Updates.
We have all had teachers all our lives in schools and colleges but our hearts ache for the ones who have been a little kinder to us. This was because of the relationship we once shared with them. During interviews, the most important aspect of onboarding a candidate is to build a rapport with which you could work. It needn’t always be too technical; ask them about their favorite TV series or football team and engage them in some banter. If they say they support Arsenal, give them a lifetime contract. You know they won’t break your trust even if you repeatedly do. This candidate engagement may ease their nerves during the interview and would create some subconscious indebtedness. In the unlikely event of them not landing the job, they at least come up to you and say hi if they see you in public. Everything temporary, apart from the person that we are today, could be a good one!
- Sensitivity towards the Candidate.
You must be sensitive to the candidate’s position and demands during the interview process or as onboarding progresses. It is not always possible to identify someone who appears to have been born to carry out their tasks. Finding a candidate who is 60% prepared allows you to develop them to their full potential while cultivating loyalty. People will remember those who trusted them; you are not just filling a position at your firm, but you are also acquiring loyalty by being sensitive to their roles and wage requirements. Putting your foot down in such situations is critical, but taking the time to clarify the candidate’s demands may allow them to breathe a sigh of relief. Expressing empathy to the candidate would undoubtedly prevent the candidate from ghosting.
- Leave the Window Open.
Clarity is key. Candidate ghosting can be resolved by approaching and interacting with candidates clearly and concisely. If you find someone who is likely to succeed, send them back with some assurance. If you find someone who appears a little underdeveloped, explain that the positions can be demanding and ask them to expect no. However, you don’t always run into black or white; greys might also occur. If such candidates are likely to be encountered, leave the door open by committing to a response within a specific time frame. Do it in such a way that you assure them that they will receive an answer, whether yes or no. By doing so, you are making them expect a response from your end within the time frame that you have specified. When a candidate knows what and when to expect, they are more likely to anticipate rather than ghost.
As we near the end of the initiative to prevent candidate ghosting, we’ve discussed retention strategies that could mitigate the hiring issues encountered by large sectors. The ever-expanding and never-ending panorama of technology, as well as the ever-present textile industry, are both subject to candidate ghosting. Given the abundance of individuals in these enormous businesses, the occurrence of candidate ghosting is unquestionable.
But hey, problems only exist to get solved; you wouldn’t have found the answers if the questions never existed. Now, we have a product that is synonymous with the answer you have been looking for. A tool that saves time, effort, and, most importantly, your sanity. Aptahire, your hiring ally. With many features such as automated transcriptions, pros and cons analysis, and detailed reports, this tool serves to become India’s most advanced AI hiring software that expedites interviewing processes while implementing a system that would take care of its own. Explore the details now, and fast-track your company’s hiring today!
