How to Reduce the Likelihood of Candidate Ghosting

Published on 8/13/2019 by Heidi Green

Candidate ghosting is gripping the staffing industry and employers alike. Although ghosting isn’t formally measured like unemployment rates and other key data, estimates put the current rate of candidate ghosting at around 20 to 50%.

That means up to half of your candidates are either ghosting your interview or are accepting the job and no-showing on the first day. Considering that you’re spending between $10,000 and $20,000 to acquire new candidates...well, the cost is adding up quickly.

Build stronger candidate relationships and nip candidate ghosting forever.

The candidate ghosting epidemic coincides with a massive push in the staffing industry toward better candidate engagement. It only makes sense that happier, more engaged candidates are less likely to drop off or skip the first days of their new jobs.

Follow these two important pieces of advice to build stronger candidate relationships and reduce your candidate ghosting rate:

1. Make candidates feel important.

Hey, we all like to feel valued and important. When you’re first reaching out to candidates, they probably feel like a million bucks. But, sometimes the hiring process slows down. Clients get delayed. And for whatever reason, you’re not able to stay on top of communications with candidates.

In other words, they don’t feel very important anymore. But, there are other staffing firms or employers who are wooing them, making them feel important. Who can blame them for ghosting you and heading elsewhere? You meant well, but the process fell a bit short.

Depending on your staffing technology, this is an easy fix. With BrightMove, our ATS is built to allow you to easily and seamlessly send emails and texts to candidates. Send personalized messages or templates, in real-time or scheduled in advance. Set reminders to follow up and stay in touch with your talent, so they never feel lost in the shuffle. Even if there isn’t much news to share, letting talent know that they’re on your mind and things are still moving forward can be enough to prevent ghosting and turn a candidate into a contractor.

2. Communicate with candidates using their preferred platform.

Today’s professionals are on the go. Whether they work in an office or out in the field, they are not hanging over their email or waiting by the phone for a recruiter to call or email. Instead, they’re on their phones. 81% of Americans use a smartphone, according to Pew Research Center.

If you want to reach candidates today and keep them engaged with your business, you need to be texting. Texting is the preferred method of communication for candidates between the ages of 18 and 44. They are short and immediate and reduce annoying phone tag that can distance talent from recruiters.

Sometimes, it makes sense to take a step back and think about how you interact with your friends, family, and colleagues. Chances are, you’re very rarely talking on the phone. You’re very likely texting. In this, and in many other instances, it helps to think like talent. If it would make your life easier to text, it will probably make your candidates’ lives easier too. Here at BrightMove, our ATS integrates seamlessly with texting technology to make it easier than ever for you to send, track and measure data around texting, helping you maximize your time and ROI.

The right ATS serves as an important hub in your candidate engagement strategy.

We’ve put a lot of thought into what makes a great experience for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. In fact, we created a step-by-step guide to creating an amazing experience. Check it out here, and shoot us a message to learn more about BrightMove.





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