What Employers Can Do to Prevent Candidates from Ghosting
Have you been ghosted by a promising job candidate? Everyone seems to have a favorite story about that outstanding prospect who suddenly disappears from the recruitment process. You might think it’s just a millennial or junior-level problem, but the truth is that executives of all generations – and professionals as far away as China – are abruptly vanishing from all recruitment contacts.
What can you do to keep executive candidates engaged?
We are now in the tightest labor market since the 1960s, and skilled professionals realize that they are in control. There are typically more desirable positions available than there are qualified candidates. How you search for the executive or professional you need to hire looks a lot different than it did just 10 years ago.
Tailor the recruiting process to the candidate
It’s not all about the hiring company anymore. To gain the confidence – and the interest – of that coveted professional, tailor the process to their convenience.
1. Arrange interviews at the candidate’s convenience. Yes, your team is busy, but aim to schedule as many interviews as possible on one day, even if that means a virtual interview in some cases. Spreading out the interviews with key decision makers can be seen as a lack of respect for the candidate’s time. The more senior the level of the position (or the more coveted the skills of the candidate), the more important this is.
2. Be on time. If you’ve scheduled a day of interviews, be sure that you don’t keep the candidate waiting or send unprepared decision makers into the interview. Remember that the candidate is judging your company just as you are judging his fit.
3. Keep the process mutually beneficial. Don’t attempt to impress the candidate with your company’s importance by arranging interviews at times that emphasize your control and the demands of the company. We know of one east-coast candidate with sought-after skills who was in the late interview stages with one of the top companies on the west coast. Although he was available to talk all day, the hiring company set the interview for 9 p.m. eastern time – typically not anyone’s best time to impress. Don’t be a bully to someone you need.
4. Be clear about expectations and schedules. Again, respect your candidate. Stay in touch. Don’t make the candidate guess about your process.
5. If you don’t have the resources to keep your client warm, consider a staffing firm. You are busy running your business, especially if you are lacking key people. An executive staffing firm is skilled at keeping your candidates warm – and keeping candidates from ghosting. Professionals hired through executive recruiting firms have been thoroughly vetted, have been sold on your company by the recruiter, and have been kept in the loop throughout the process. Learn more about how executive staffing firms work or the options for working with an executive recruiting firm. Right now, key candidates know that their options are many, and they often don’t need much of a reason to drop out of your search. Don’t lose your next game-changer because you don’t have the in-house resources to tailor the process to them.
Looking for help with staffing? Parker Blake is an Atlanta-based executive staffing firm, working nationwide to provide boutique staffing services to a select group of clients, enabling us to give extraordinary attention to each client. While we successfully place many clients each week, each placement is the result of a deep, thorough search and an extensive examination of skills, experience, and cultural fit, along with complete reference checks and interviews.
In addition to executive and professional search, Parker Blake also offers interim staffing, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), and consulting services. To learn more about Parker Blake or to contact an executive recruiter, contact us or call 770.331.8547.