By Wasana Nadeeshani Sellahewa
England (Commonwealth Union)_ Larger companies typically have the funding, assets, and access to technology to gain a competitive edge over smaller companies when hiring new and emerging talent and making sales pitches. However, this could hurt businesses given the uncertain economy and the competitive labor market.
Businesses in the previous decade enjoyed hiring in a buyer’s market, where there were many qualified candidates to choose from. However, few took into account the need to effectively manage their rejection process, choosing instead to keep job applicants in the dark about their applications or the reasons they were unsuccessful in getting the job. However, this may end up costing companies in a labor market that is more competitive and unstable economically.
Ghosting job applicants is a serious blight that is becoming more prevalent. It may have disastrous consequences for candidates. Meanwhile, the negative effects it can have on businesses, particularly professional services firms, are frequently ignored.
Value-driven organizations, rightfully, place a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to ensure they recruit and retain the best talent and foster an environment where everyone can realize their full potential and, if we are being cynical, because they must be in tune with their customers. But too frequently, company leaders jeopardize their hard-won DEI brand by failing to appreciate how much the simple things matter. Making sure you have a policy requiring recruiters and anybody who interviews candidates at any level to follow up with applicants following any interaction with your firm is a perfect example of how to do this.
The risks associated with ghosting are greater than ever. In the past, there would occasionally be a social media post from an unsatisfied candidate citing a particular company that had neglected to notify them of the results of an interview. However, because they didn’t want to seem to be troublemakers, the majority of individuals remained silent.
With many users obtaining only a 5% response rate to their applications, application ghosting is very prevalent. Ghosting that occurs after an interview is worse since you are now in the process of disliking someone you have just met. That goes double for senior consultants who have spent hours crafting a three-year strategy to present, as well as for candidates who have devoted their time in several interviews and examinations.
If a candidate has advanced to that point, the absolute least they should receive is some comment on their performance; otherwise, it will arouse sentiments of imposter that many individuals actively work to suppress. The effects may be more severe for a candidate who is diverse, driving them down a path of insecurity and hopelessness.
There are straightforward actions that business leaders can take to address the issue, beginning with ensuring that HR directors are responsible for ensuring that corporate procedures are followed. They must then take steps to ensure that anyone hiring within their company follows the procedure at every stage, starting with a proforma note to each applicant at the application stage, followed by a straightforward rejection letter at the first interview, and a feedback note to candidates who advance further in the hiring process. Ghosting has major potential consequences for some candidates. The knock-on impact may be harsher in terms of overall brand as well as the possibility of coming into a pitch and running into the executive your company ghosted last year!
