How to prevent candidate ghosting in your hiring process

Executive overview

Candidate ghosting has surged since the Great Resignation: 84% of job seekers admit to ghosting an employer in the last 18 months. The root causes are consistent — poor process, unmet salary expectations, and inaccurate job descriptions. Recruiters who address these directly can significantly reduce ghosting without eliminating it entirely.

Candidates ghost when the hiring process, compensation, or communication fails them first.

Three signs a candidate may ghost you

• Slow, unclear, or poorly written responses after initial contact
• Persistent difficulty scheduling interviews or completing assessments
• Unwillingness to commit to a start date within a few days of an offer

Five ways to reduce candidate ghosting

• Standardise your hiring process across all seven stages; use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to maintain consistency
• Write transparent job descriptions — include target compensation rather than vague claims of "competitive salary"
• Offer genuinely competitive pay and benefits; research industry benchmarks and get creative (e.g. pet insurance for pandemic pet owners)
• Communicate quickly and engagingly — end every message with a question that requires a response to sustain dialogue
• Stop ghosting candidates yourself — unanswered rejections damage employer brand, lose future applicants, and cost customers