With unemployment low and jobs plentiful, employers are finding that some job prospects don’t even bother with “no thank you.”
Employers are reporting an increase in prospects who accept job offers and then don’t show up, along with a corresponding increase in existing employees who quit with no notice for the promise of a better offer.
It may seem rude, but it’s a familiar scenario in the online dating world, where the term “ghosting” was coined to describe the sudden, unannounced disappearance of someone in the early stages of what at least one participant believed was a budding relationship.
With unemployment at record low levels however, “ghosting” has crossed over into the vocabulary of hiring managers, who are learning the hard way that what seems like a promising new hire can quickly turn into another candidate who is “just not that into you.”
Has Anyone Seen Peter?
The casual business break-up has moved beyond the hiring process as well. The Washington Post reports an increasing number of workers are quitting their jobs without providing the traditional two weeks’ notice. With more open jobs than people looking for work, employees with plenty of better opportunities to choose from do not always feel compelled to keep their bridges intact. Among other breaches of traditional business etiquette, some employers report an increase in resignation by text, while others say they have experienced an even colder version of the no-goodbye: learning of a resignation only when an employee stopped showing up for work.
In a recent guest article in Entrepreneur magazine, one global recruiting strategist describes this behavior as a bit of turnabout for many recruiters. “For years, job candidates have complained about not knowing the status of applications they spent hours preparing only to submit and never hear from the prospective employer again,” writes Jim Stroud, Global head of Sourcing and Recruiting Strategy for Randstad Sourceright.
Workers Have the Advantage in This Economy
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, there were 7 million job openings in September and 5.7 million hires. Job candidates are fielding multiple offers and many of them, apparently, don’t feel obligated to keep rejected employers informed when they accept another job. The trend includes both blue and white-collar workers.
Strategies for Ghost-proofing the Hiring Process
In response, some employers are trying to streamline their hiring and onboarding processes, so job candidates have less time to be lured away by other offers. More efficient processes also leave the company with other job prospects to interview when a candidate abruptly withdraws from the hiring process.
A smooth and reliable onboarding system can help. Digital HR tools can create a better experience for employees and give companies the advantage over competitors whose processes are outdated. Also, digital onboarding means the deluge of paper new hires often face is much less of an issue. Contact us to learn more about how you can incorporate more efficient onboarding practices to insulate your recruiting practices from costly gaps and clunky practices that can leave you on the wrong end of a messy breakup.