We have all done it. The Irish goodbye, the ghosting of a sales person, the ignoring of a telemarketer. Again we have all done it, myself included. Sometimes it seems like the easy way out, saving you from awkward conversations, from having to explain yourself, from the sales pitch. While it might seem like a time saver or just easier, in fact it creates more work for everyone involved. Communication is the most important part of any relationship.
In a professional setting, I don’t see much more that is less professional than ghosting. According to Psychology Today, Ghosting is “abruptly ending communication with someone without explanation.” Let’s break this down in terms of recruiting.
Ghosting in Recruiting.
Imagine you set up a call with a candidate and they don’t answer at the agreed upon time. You try a few more times, still no answer. The candidate is spending time ignoring your calls and you are spending time trying to reach them. Then take it a step further – you had a great call with a candidate, they express interest in the opportunity you presented to them, then…crickets. More time spent trying to reach them, more time ignoring calls.
From a recruiting standpoint, there is one ghosting example that trumps all others in terms of being extremely unprofessional and frustrating. I connect a candidate with a client and they have a conversation, described as “great” from both parties. For reasons completely unknown, the candidate suddenly ghosts. No explanation, no quick text saying “Not interested”…..nothing. Texts, emails and phone calls go unanswered. Not only are all parties now more invested with the most precious commodity – time – but it’s just not a good look. As a professional in the mortgage industry, do you really want to start burning bridges and creating a negative impression of yourself with both the lender and the recruiter?
When a candidate ghosts me, they immediately go onto the “Do not Contact” list for future opportunities. For the lender, they will forever associate your name with a negative experience. So unnecessary when a 10 second text is so easy.
It’s not just the Candidates.
Ghosting isn’t limited to candidates. Although more rare, I have also had clients with whom I schedule an initial meeting with a candidate (usually by phone) and after receiving positive feedback from the candidate following the call, the client is slow to respond. Everyone is busy – I’m not talking about a day or two going by – I’m referring to multiple days or longer with no feedback as to their impression of the candidate following the initial meeting. Just as in the example described above, this leaves a negative impression of the company, especially with the candidate. Trust me when I say candidates share this experience with others. This is just one of the ways negative perceptions of a company is born.
What is Easier?
These days there are more ways to communicate then ever. Call, text, tweet, email, instant message, zoom, the list goes on. Many of these communication vehicles take less than 30 seconds. “I’m sorry but this opportunity isn’t the right fit for me, I appreciate your time…” That’s it! Everyone involved knows what’s going on and isn’t spending wasted time pursuing something that isn’t going to work. The frustration comes from knowing the ability to send some kind of communication takes virtually no time at all, yet the “ghoster” deems your time and effort spent on their behalf does not warrant even the most basic of professional courtesy.
As I said before, Communication is the most important part of any relationship, business or otherwise. If you cannot (or will not) contribute in this regard, you have a relationship that will inevitably fail and leave lasting impressions.
