‘Ghosting’ lets employees be boss: Job market analysis

Candidate 'ghosting' is the in-thing in the hyper-competitive job market. Rid of jargon, this means the jobseeker, on a work-hunting spree, breaks off all communication with a hiring company, and moves on to another firm. The employer awaits a response from a virtual ghost.

So, what drives people to swipe right to another potential job and drop out of the recruitment process without so much as sending a text?

A trend analysis of both the Indian and global job market has now concluded that with increasing talent shortages in key industries, the balance of power has shifted from employers to jobseekers.

The analysis, based largely on anecdotal evidence, shows that jobseekers now feel more empowered to search for work on their own terms. "When companies are struggling to attract people with particular skills and experience, jobseekers may feel that they can pick and choose the best opportunities."

Lack of contacts

This is a role reversal of sorts. "Recruiters might now be experiencing from candidates the very same lack of contact that many candidates have long complained about from recruiters," notes a study by job portal, Indeed.

The study had found that waiting to hear back from a potential employer is the number one pain point for almost half of the job seekers. "Ghosting candidates, or even thinking about it, could be bad for one's employer brand. Asking the right questions from the very start is one way to prevent ghosting and not lose promising candidates," says Indeed India managing director Sashi Kumar.

Is there a way out of this ghosting situation? Here's an advice from Kumar: "The one thing to keep in mind is that you can't make the decision for the candidate and you should not talk about why another opportunity is good or bad. But you should be clear about the role and company you are hiring for."