Resourcing | Employers 'ghosted' in recruitment process

Four-fifths (84%) of UK employers have experienced a candidate ‘ghosting’ them at some point during the recruitment process, according to new research from law firm Joelson.

The term ‘ghosting’ – which was traditionally used to describe the practice of serial daters trying to terminate a conversation or relationship without an explanation – has moved into the working world, leaving some employers and recruiters severely in the lurch.

Candidates or new employees failing to turn up, either to an interview or to work, can cost employers between £2,000 and £5,000, according to a third of surveyed employers (31%).

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Resignation | The rise of ghosting: why are your employees leaving without saying goodbye?

The ways in which employers and recruiters has been ghosted varied. The survey found that 62% of employers had tried to contact applicants two or three times after they had gone silent and heard nothing, while 62% observed a no-show on the new recruits' first day of work.