Ghosting —“The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication”.
The term is usually used to describe personal relationships but a climate shift in the hiring world has made this true for business relationships as well. As more job candidates are “ghosting” before and after interviews.
This behavior, needless to say, is ill-advised!
Here’s why:
1. Burning Networking Bridges:
Job opportunities are often acquired through personal networking. Ghosting after (or before) an interview leads to loss of faith in the person that recommended you because it can impact your referrals credibility; do this and your networking circle just got a lot smaller.
2. Living with Regrets:
Once you ghost a company there is no chance to reconnect with them if you happen to change your mind. Be honest with the organization and let them know you’re considering other opportunities to keep a clean line of communication in case you change your mind in the future.
3. Damaged goods:
Many companies work with professional talent recruiters to land them iDEAL employees. Ghosting will most certainly lead recruiters to put you on the “naughty list” which can keep you from being considered for future opportunities.
Keep it real!
If you no longer have an interest in a job be straight forward and let the company know. Thank them for their time and part on a positive note.
If your paths cross again you’ll be glad your behavior was iDEAL!
