Right now we are in the best job market in this past decade. I remember back in 2009 I was working at a credit union in Orlando FL and I have to tell you I was happy to have a job. Many experienced bankers were on the streets looking for gainful employment. Fast forward 10 years and today employers are battling to hire skilled employees. Every month I have one or two recruiters reaching out to me and offering to make a jump to another bank for $20,000 – $30,000 higher base salary. Banking is crazy competitive when it comes to customers or talent. Although even in today’s economy not every industry or employer got the memo.
A growing number of job applicants are being ghosted—interviewing for jobs, then getting no follow up response from the employer. Others say employers’ dismissive handling of their applications or interviews is leaving them cold.
One of my friends took a day off to interview at another company but he got nothing. He got no replies to a series of emails to the company for weeks. He considers such behavior toward applicants a sign of how an employer is likely to treat its employees. “Being ghosted may be a disappointment, but it probably saves you from a more lasting disappointment down the road,” he said.
Companies often complain about candidates who disappear but employer’s no response approach does serious damage too, with lasting effects on their reputation on the labor market. If you treat candidates poorly during the recruiting process, they’re going to tell their friends. You could get away with that in 2009, but you can’t get away with it in 2019.
It also damages companies’ image among consumers. Many of my friends say being treated badly would make them less likely to buy the company’s products.
Ghosting by employers isn’t new, but changes in hiring practices are making it more common. Companies are taking way longer to hire a candidate as they did a decade ago.
Other companies alienate applicants by posting misleading job descriptions. During my other friend’s recent search appeared to be full-time jobs, but turned out to be temporary or contractor positions. When he arrived for an interview, he was hit by a sales pitch that he will be blessed to be here. My advice is to research the prospective employer carefully, talking with past and present employees. Ask early in the interview process about the employer’s timeline, whether it’s firm, and if they’ll be contacting people who aren’t offered a job, as well as those who are.