Employers!!! Ghosting candidates is truly bad for business! What to do instead…..
We’ve seen more and more this disturbing trend, and we see more and more people posting about it. We want to reiterate to our clients that this should be taken seriously.
In today’s competitive talent market, the candidate experience is more than just a buzzword — it’s a strategic business priority. Yet, one damaging practice still lingers in many organizations’ hiring processes: ghosting candidates.
Ghosting, the act of cutting off communication without notice, is no longer something only candidates do. Increasingly, job seekers report being ghosted by employers — even after multiple interviews or final-round meetings. And while it may feel easier to avoid uncomfortable conversations or to de-prioritize candidate follow-ups during busy hiring cycles, the long-term consequences are real.
We tell candidates, the best time to send a thank you note to an interviewer is after a rejection!! It keeps the door open for the future. Employers should heed the same advice. It costs nothing to send a quick note. But it could cost you everything to stay silent.
1. It Damages Your Employer Brand
Your company’s reputation is shaped not just by what current employees say, but by how former candidates feel they were treated. Ghosted candidates often share their experiences on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Reddit, or with their personal networks — and those stories stick.
An Indeed survey found that nearly 60% of job seekers who were ghosted would not apply to that company again, and 72% said they’d share their negative experience with others. In an age of transparency and social reviews, your hiring process is public — whether you like it or not.
2. You Lose Future Talent
Just because a candidate isn’t the right fit today doesn’t mean they won’t be a great fit tomorrow — for another role, or after gaining more experience. But if a candidate feels ignored or disrespected, they won’t come back. Worse, they may steer other high-quality candidates away from your organization.
When companies consistently communicate with candidates and offer closure — even with a simple rejection email — they leave the door open to future talent. That’s how talent pipelines are built, not burned.
3. It Undermines Trust and Credibility
Recruitment is an extension of your organization’s values and culture. If your hiring process is marked by poor communication or vanishing acts, what message does that send about how you treat people?
Ghosting reflects a lack of professionalism and reliability. For hiring managers and HR teams, it creates misalignment between what you say your culture is and how people actually experience it.
4. It Hurts Your Referral Network
Candidates talk. Often. And they talk to your current employees. That means ghosting doesn’t just harm your relationship with one individual — it can spread distrust across your entire referral network.
Good people refer other good people. But if the people in your network hear (or experience firsthand) that your process lacks follow-through, they’ll stop sending top talent your way.
5. It’s Unnecessary — Better Systems Exist
Sometimes ghosting happens because teams don’t have a good process in place. Communication falls through the cracks. No one “owns” candidate follow-up. But with today’s applicant tracking systems, automation tools, and dedicated recruiters, there’s no reason a candidate should be left in the dark.
Even a quick message like, “We’re moving forward with other candidates, but we appreciate your interest and time,” can preserve a candidate’s dignity and respect your company’s image.
What to Do Instead
- Set clear expectations upfront. Tell candidates what to expect in terms of timeline and communication.
- Automate where appropriate. Use your ATS to send timely updates, even if it’s a rejection.
- Assign accountability. Ensure someone on the hiring team is responsible for candidate communication at every stage.
- Close the loop. Always let candidates know when they are no longer being considered.
- Worst case scenario, if you’re working with an executive recruiter, tell them and they can tell the candidate.
Hiring is a human process. And like all relationships, the way it ends matters just as much as how it begins.
When you ghost candidates, you’re not just avoiding an uncomfortable conversation — you’re damaging your brand, your talent pipeline, and your reputation in the market. On the other hand, when you treat all candidates with respect — especially those you don’t hire — you build credibility, goodwill, and long-term value for your business.
