Why is everyone talking about…ghosting candidates?

Is your organisation ghosting applicants? Our friends at Greenhouse just released their 2024 State of Job Hunting report, and organisations are now, more than ever, ‘ghosting’ applicants at a rate of 61% of the time — a 9 percentage increase year over year. 

While not necessarily new, the current rise in ghosting can be partially attributed to AI. The ability to apply to thousands of jobs in moments has flooded the talent market, and hiring teams are struggling to catch up — with the unintended consequence of applicants being ghosted. 

And that matters because candidate experience matters. A survey from Talent Board found that 58% of candidates who had a negative experience during recruitment would still turn down the job, even if it was for their dream role. The glut of AI applications is stressing talent teams and causing gaps in the entire process.

It would seem that ghosting is merely a consequence of hiring teams trying to play catch-up with the rise in AI, but it’s important to note that AI isn’t going anywhere and it’s not the sole issue. 

As Brian Westfall, principal HR analyst at Capterra, explains: “What makes this issue so complex is that not all AI uses are necessarily bad… If a job seeker is using AI to refine their resume or cover letter, most employers won’t bat an eye. It’s when they’re using AI to mask a skills deficiency that recruiters need to be on guard.”

The resulting advice is that HR teams may need to respond with automations of their own: “There are tools in hiring platforms that make it easier to respond to candidates; HR teams should be using them and prioritising responsiveness to candidates,” explains Jon Stross, President and Co-founder of Greenhouse.

Hiring teams need to ensure that they’re doing two things well: finding the best talent for their needs while guaranteeing every candidate a pleasant experience. Here are some ways to help: 

• Introduce automation wisely: Prepare your teams with the right technology, ensuring that automatic receipt and hiring process update notifications get sent seamlessly. 

• Revisit your hiring process: Ghosting may occur if your hiring has too many stages or is too protracted. You could benefit from revisiting the entire process and focusing on recruiting KPIs.

• Counteract AI with a human touch: In our Personio Masterclass with recruiting expert Phil Blaydes, we talk about how hiring teams can tackle trends like these. We’d recommend giving it a watch.

• 6 emerging trends recruiting professionals need to know

• Why is everyone talking about… the ‘AI rollout’?

• Free download: Employer branding ebook

That's all for this week's edition of Personio Pulse: This Week in HR. Check back next week as we continue to dissect the latest trends impacting the ways we work. 

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