The problem with Ghosting

Responding to Requests

If you’ve been a job seeker for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of the term “ghosting” – the phenomenon of cutting off contact with someone without warning or explanation.

Although this term has been commonly associated with romantic relationships, it’s becoming increasingly prevalent in the professional world – and it’s an especially bad idea to ghost a professional recruiter or corporate recruiter. Recruiters are considered gatekeepers that help job seekers secure positions they’re interested in. They’re the ones who review your resume, schedule the interviews, and help you navigate the hiring process directly with hiring manager. They’re also the ones to whom job seekers should be the most responsive and polite.

Ghosting a recruiter can have serious consequences, including:

• Negative Reputation: Recruiters talk to each other, and they’ll remember if you ghost them. This means you could miss out on future opportunities with other recruiters in the same network.
• Missed Opportunities: If you ghost a recruiter, they may assume you’re not interested in the job and move on to the next candidate. This means you could miss out on a great opportunity.
• Unprofessionalism: Recruiters have a lot of candidates to choose from and are looking for job seekers who are professional and reliable.

Ghosting a recruiter sends the message that you’re not serious about the job, and it reflects poorly on your character. If you’re interested in a job opening and have contacted a professional recruiter, the best thing you can do is remain responsive and polite. Even if you’re no longer interested in the job, let the recruiter know so they can move on to the next candidate. Don’t forget, they retain data on candidates and may simply refer to earlier notes about your communications and just pass on your application.

Ghosting a recruiter is a surefire way to burn bridges and miss out on future opportunities.