Picture the scenario – you apply for an office administration job and are extremely happy to get an interview after submitting a test or presentation you’ve worked really hard on. The recruiter tells you they will be in touch. You wait and you wait… but you do not hear from them. You try chasing up, send emails, give a call, but receive no feedback.
It’s as if your application has disappeared into some void and you’re left feeling disappointed and frustrated.
As a candidate this only serves to demotivate you when searching for future jobs.
The term for this is “ghosting”. Whilst it is usually used in terms of relationships it is increasingly being used in the recruitment industry. It is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a way of ending a relationship with someone suddenly by stopping all communication with them.”
More than one-third of job seekers say they were rejected from a potential role by never actually getting any response at all, according to a recent study by career data firm Clutch. The research also shows that ghosting becomes less acceptable to candidates as the interview process progresses.
During your interview it’s important to ask what the next steps are and when you are likely to get an update. If you receive no communication by that date, follow up with an email that reiterates your interest in the job. If you don’t hear anything after that, it’s likely the job has been filled.
In today’s digital age recruiters do get inundated with many applications, however at VacancyCentre we strive to be in touch at all stages of the recruitment process. This includes providing feedback at each stage of the interview process – we will always let you know how your application is getting on and whether it looks like it’s going to be a good fit or not.
Treating candidates politely and getting back to those who have interviewed is the right and professional thing to do.