Top trends | Is this the real reason candidates get ghosted by recruiters?

If a candidate ever spotted a job advertisement that looked perfect for them and sent their CV over to the recruiter, then waited for a call from the recruiter that’s never come,they aren't alone. It may even be that they've have a chat on the phone with the recruiter, perhaps even an interview and then…nothing.

According to the Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report, a 2022 study of 1,500 global workers, 75% of jobseekers have been ‘ghosted’ after an interview. Shockingly, the BBC reports that only 27% of US interviewers say they haven’t ghosted a candidate in the past year, according to stats from job site Indeed.

Left hanging

‘Ghosting’ is something that most of us associate with dating rather than HR, so how has this practice spread to the world of work? Well, although it can be very discouraging to be left hanging, wondering if your CV and skillset are up to scratch, it’s likely that the reason the candidate didn’t get a call back has nothing to do with their capability to perform the role – at least, according to one recruiter, Deven Lall-Perry. In an article for cnbcc.com, she explained that there are three key reasons why recruiters ‘ghost’ jobseekers:

1. The recruiter is no longer hiring for the role.

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