How To Prevent Candidate Ghosting in 2025: Top Strategies For Recruiters  

What Is Candidate Ghosting And What Can Recruiters Do To Prevent It?

The recruitment process requires an investment of time and energy from both the candidates and the hiring manager. It can take a toll on the motivation of the recruiter, and affect your performance. In the competitive job market where everything is fast passed, keeping candidates engaged has become increasingly difficult. 

According to a report by Indeed in 2021, recruiters have said 28% of the people reported that they ghosted a recruiter in the past year. The reports are similar to a horror story when you get to know that in the past year, 76% of the people reported the same.
With a 57% rise in ghosting, it is evident that ghosting in recruitment happens on a much more frequent basis nowadays. This has increased the worries of recruiters, further raising questions on how to find the perfect candidate and how to cultivate a positive candidate experience.
So, why has it increased in recent years? As the top HR services in Hyderabad and recruitment agencies in Hyderabad, we will be helping you understand what is ghosting, the common reasons candidates that lead to ghosting recruiters and what hiring managers can do to enhance the candidate experience and minimise the occurrence of candidate ghosting during the hiring process. Read more on this blog to find out.

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What is Candidate Ghosting?

The term “ghosting” refers to slang that originated in the early 2000s. It describes a situation where one individual abruptly stops responding to another person, without any reason or explanation, and vanishes into thin air like a “ghost”.

Candidate ghosting occurs when a candidate suddenly stops communicating with the hiring manager while the recruitment is still ongoing. This may happen at any stage of the recruitment, between application submission and receiving the job offer. Sometimes, the opposite also takes place, where the recruiter decides to ghost candidates after they find the candidate unsuitable for the job role. However, this is unprofessional and may harm the company's image in the long run.

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Reasons Behind Candidate Ghosting Recruiters

Although it may feel disheartening and demotivating to experience this as a recruiter, there are several reasons why candidates might choose to ghost recruiters during the hiring process. Let us find out the common reasons together:

1. Avoiding Confrontation

Many job candidates fear the conflict that may arise after rejecting an offer letter and saying “no” to the hiring manager. So, to avoid this confrontation, they simply stop communicating with the recruiter while the hiring process is still ongoing. They feel avoidance is a much better way to escape the situation and so ghost the hiring manager as a result. 

2. Company Culture

A candidate may ghost a recruiter when the company culture does not feel right to them. They might struggle to form any connection with the recruiter or the employer brand, and so they decide to ghost the hiring manager. Ghosting feels like a more comfortable alternative to such candidates. 

3. Unaligned Expectations

When candidates find that their expectations do not align with the compensation and benefits provided in the job role, they may decide to ghost the recruiter.  A candidate is less likely to ghost a recruiter if they are aware of the compensation and benefits. You can avoid this by clearly communicating with the candidate about the compensation within the initial stages of recruitment. This would help decrease the possibility of getting ghosted by a candidate.

4. Uncertainty About Commitment

Sometimes candidates struggle with the thought of having to commit to a workplace. So, to avoid their fear of commitment, job seekers decide to ghost the recruiter, instead of communicating their expectations or the fact they still have not fully come to a proper conclusion.

5. Unexpected Circumstances

When a candidate may go through unexpected life circumstances, they may decide to pull away from the hiring process without giving a proper explanation. This may include reasons like a family emergency, health issues, or other personal circumstances. It will lead the candidate to abruptly stop their job search, and ghost the recruiter in the process.

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How Can Recruiters Avoid Candidates Ghosting In The Recruitment Process?

To minimise the chances of getting ghosted by candidates, you can use the following strategies:

1. Establish Clear Communication

Establishing a clear form of communication within the initial stages of the recruitment process is one of the best steps you could take to prevent candidate ghosting. Be transparent about all compensation benefits and other factors in the job description, so that the candidate is aware of everything from the start. This will also help ease their worries regarding the job offer, reduce the possibilities of lack of communication and help you stay ahead of other competitors in the market. 

2. Simplify The Process

If the recruitment process feels too lengthy or complicated, it might leave the candidate feeling overwhelmed. This will increase the chances of candidates ghosting you during the recruitment process. To help craft a welcoming and positive experience for candidates, a simple and easy approach to the process is the best way to go for recruiters.

3. Minimise Prolonged Delays

During the process of talent acquisition, if you prolong the delays between different interview rounds, the candidate might start to lose interest. To prevent this, try to establish clear communication between team members to quicken the process. This will help in keeping the candidate engaged in the hiring process. 

4. Automate Interviews

Automating the schedules of interviews will help reduce the lag in the communication process and smoothen the interview process. The candidate will be able to choose a suitable time for themselves within the available slots. This will be convenient for the recruiter and the candidate, help save a lot of time on both sides and improve the overall candidate experience. 

5. Ask For Feedback

To understand the experience of candidates and new hires in a better way, ask for feedback during and after the recruitment process respectively. This will help to evaluate their needs and understand what candidates are currently looking for within a job role. The best way to ask for feedback would be by creating surveys that candidates can fill out at their convenience. It is better to send the survey asking for feedback after the process of onboarding is initiated by the recruiter.

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Conclusion

Candidates ghosting recruiters is not an uncommon occurrence. If you want to find top talents within the job market, it is important to understand the reasons behind why you might get ghosted by candidates, and how to tackle the situation. While this is not in your hands, you can take steps to minimise the chances of being ghosted.