Back in the day, maybe still today, at the end of an audition, Hollywood producers would say, “Don’t call us; we’ll call you.”
Not hearing back was your answer.
Maybe hiring managers should end their interviews with, “If you don’t hear from us by Friday, presume we’ve moved on to other candidates.”
I’d prefer to know the interviewer’s communication context up front rather than assuming I’ll hear back either way, or worse, being told I’ll hear back in a few days and not hearing anything.
The term ghosting comes from the dating world. It means to abruptly cut off contact with someone without explanation. Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly ghosting job applicants after the interview.
Even though ghosting is considered “unprofessional,” I believe it’ll eventually be integrated into our social norms, just as many other of today’s social norms were considered unacceptable just a few years ago.
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Think about all that we accept or tolerate today that weren’t accepted or tolerated 20 years ago. I can’t recall the last time I wore a tie to an interview, funeral, as a keynote speaker, or meeting with “the powers that be.” Visible tattoos are no longer frowned upon, and the usage of profanity doesn’t raise eyebrows. Manners today are less pronounced, and people are more prone to being offended, causing everyone to walk around on eggshells, which is why ghosting is increasing.
Additionally, a sense of entitlement is prevalent today. Many candidates raised on the idea that “everyone is a winner” react negatively when not chosen. Having been verbally bitten several times, it’s understandable that employers avoid reaching out to rejected candidates. More than one hiring manager has told me, “It’s easier not to have the conversation than to have it.”
For better or worse, I’ll let you decide.
It can’t be unexpected that the downgrading (READ: becoming more casual) of our social mannerisms has found its way into the workplace. The 20 or 30-something H.R. manager has an entirely different set of values and definition of what it means to be a professional than the 48-year-old job seeker. Generational clashes are happening.
Hiring managers are swamped with applications. Replying to everyone, aside from an automated “We’ve received your application and will contact you if we feel there’s a match,” would take more time than they have. Technology is one of the reasons recruitment is becoming increasingly discourteous.
Here’s some straightforward talk: Nobody wants to spend their lifeblood on someone else’s business. A person has a job to make a living. For most people, their job is purely transactional. Having a transactional mindset is why movements such as “quiet quitting” and the “F.I.R.E. movement” (Financial Independence, Retire Early), where Gen Z adults extreme save 50 per cent to 75 per cent of their income so they can retire by their 40s or 50s, exist. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that social niceties are being dropped as employers and employees rapidly move towards a relationship where each party views the other as a means to an end.
Like every job seeker, I’ve been ghosted. Since I tend to keep my expectations low, being ghosted has never really bothered me. I’m serious! I don’t feel a recruiter or hiring manager owes me a reply after an interview. When I get a follow-up call, which I usually do, it’s nice, but it’s not something I expect.
I attribute my motivation to energetically help myself to the assumption that no one owes me, coupled with my belief that business is never personal. The expectation of being “owed” is why many job seekers are frustrated with how employers design their hiring process.
Most of your job search will involve dealing with strangers who, let’s face it, owe you nothing. This fact of life is how you “discipline your disappointment” when someone fails to meet your expectations.
End your interview by attempting to determine if and when you can expect to hear back if you’re green-lit to move forward in the hiring process. Something like: “I really enjoyed our conversation. What is the next step, and when can I expect to hear back if I’m selected to move forward?” works.
Once told what to expect, say, “If I don’t hear back from you by the end of Friday, I’ll presume you’ve moved on to other candidates.”
If the get-back-to-you deadline passes, reach out once and then let it go.
A final piece of advice? Always have several pokers in the fire throughout your job search. Don’t become dependent on a particular employer offering you a job.
Having other job opportunities in your pipeline will help you move on from being ghosted.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job.
For interview requests, click here.
The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.
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Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.
No, ghosting is a cancer. Not responding back doesn’t tell the applicant WHY they didn’t get the job.
By ghosting, you’re not just losing a potential employee, but a potential customer as well. If someone gets ghosted, they aren’t going to bother applying for a job with your company again, and they also aren’t going to do business with you either.
No, ghosting is a cancer. Not responding back doesn’t tell the applicant WHY they didn’t get the job.
By ghosting, you’re not just losing a potential employee, but a potential customer as well. If someone gets ghosted, they aren’t going to bother applying for a job with your company again, and they also aren’t going to do business with you either.
(a) Every hiring manager accesses candidates differently, therefore, why would you want to know “Why you didn’t get the job” when the reason — if you’re told the real reason — is just that particular hiring manager’s preference? (e.g., they don’t hire candidates with a beard or visible tattoos)
There are also legal liabilities, which is why more and more employers are ghosting. The last thing an employer needs when giving feedback to a rejected candidate is accusations being made. (Try looking at the hiring process from the employer’s side, not just yours.)
(b) RE: “By ghosting, you’re not just losing a potential employee, but a potential customer as well.”
This is a myth that job seekers try to sell, thinking it’ll scare employers. I can tell you if ghosting in any way hurts an employer’s bottom line they won’t be ghosting. Can you show me a credible study, or stats, that proves ghosting hurts an employer’s business? (I’ll wait.)
(c) RE: “they aren’t going to bother applying for a job with your company again”
Your point being? What makes you think the employer having rejected you wants you to apply again?