Job ghosting | 86% of jobseekers admit not showing up to interviews, research reveals

We’ve all heard of ghosting in dating, and it’s now become rife in the hiring industry, with a growing number of jobseekers admitting they’ve ghosted a potential employer in the past year.

86% of UK jobseekers have without-notice not shown up for a job interview according to new research from global matching and hiring platform Indeed.

The survey of 1,500 businesses and 1,500 working people in the UK has found that ghosting (the practice of withdrawing all communication suddenly and without explanation) isn’t just a dating phenomenon and has now infiltrated the hiring process, with three in four (75%) workers saying they’ve ghosted in the past year.

Gen Z are emboldened ghosters - Millennials have regrets

Gen Z (18-24-year-olds) and Millennials (25-44-year-olds) are the most likely to ghost a prospective job, with more than 3 in 4 (79%) having done so in the past year. However, the two youngest working generations have differing attitudes to the practice. Gen Z takes a confident approach, with 93% saying they haven’t shown up for an interview and 87% not showing up on their first day of work - the highest of any demographic. Almost a quarter of Gen Z even have no qualms about leaving their job without giving notice (23%).