Ghosting: HR’s New Recruitment Nightmare?

Ghosting: HR’s new recruitment nightmare? In summary:

• New research by the CIPD has revealed a quarter of businesses are being ‘ghosted’ by new employees who fail to turn up for a new role.
• Preventing this requires frequent communication with new starters, creating a positive experience and offering engaging benefits.
• Additionally, creating a welcoming environment, keeping communication channels open and responding to feedback are also vital.

The Great Resignation. Quiet Quitting. Resenteeism. The average HR department has contended with some truly terrifying trends over the past few years… but Ghosting could be the most chilling yet!

Ghosting, a term mainly associated with friendships and romantic relationships, refers to when a person abruptly ends all communication with someone without explanation. One minute all is well. Then, without warning, radio silence… as if they never existed! But, it seems this phenomenon is now spreading through the world of work at worrying speed.

New research from the CIPD and Omni RMS shows that 27% of businesses who attempted to fill vacancies in past 12 months experienced new starters failing to turn up on their first day at work. No emails, no calls, just…. vanished! All that hard work to find the ‘right’ employee, interviews and background checks wasted… and HR teams wondering just what the hell happened.

So, what could be causing so many new hires to just disappear into thin air?

Ghosting: cracking the causes

Luckily, you don’t need to hire Scooby Doo & the Gang to solve this mystery. If your new hires are leaving you high and dry, it could be because:

They’ve had a better offer

Yup, new hires can be fickle beasts and skills are in short supply right now… it’s a perfect storm! Plus, in tight job markets – particularly in industries like tech, healthcare and hospitality – your new hire may have had multiple offers for their talents. They might have said ‘Yes’ to your job offer, but continued interviewing for better roles, ghosting you once they secure something more appealing.

Lack of an emotional connection

The rise of remote work can weaken the personal connection between candidates and employers. When people don’t physically visit an office or meet their colleagues in person, they may feel less obligated or guilty about breaking off the relationship.

A poor onboarding experience

If your onboarding process is chaotic, disorganised or makes a new hire feel unwelcome, they may reconsider their decision to join your company. The simple fact is first impressions count to new hires – and if yours don’t live up to their expectations, they may just walk away without warning.

Unclear or misleading job expectations

Our recent investigation into the state of onboarding discovered that 17% of employees believed the job they applied for was not representative of their actual role. More worryingly, this number rose to 25% for those who worked remotely. If your new hires discover their role doesn’t align with what they were led to believe during the interview process, it’s more likely they’ll just walk away without any explanation.

Unmet salary, benefits or perk expectations

If certain perks or benefits were promised at the interview but fail to appear (or are simply not in-line with the new hires expectations), you run an increased risk of new hires either backing out before they start, or leaving shortly after their first day.

Your company’s reputation or culture concerns

Your company culture matters! Should your new hire uncover negative information about your company’s reputation, leadership or working culture (either through online reviews or informal networks) before they begin, they might start thinking twice about joining your organisation and ghost you altogether.

Lack of an immediate connection with their new employer

Starting a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience. So, building a positive connection with their new team early on can make new hires feel more committed and excited to be starting. However, when companies delay introductions, provide little communication or fail to establish rapport during the initial days, it can leave a new hire disengaged and increase the chances of them walking away.

Fear of conflict

No one likes having awkward conversations. So, it can perhaps be easy to understand why ghosting may feel like an easy, conflict-free solution for candidates who’ve had a change of heart. Rather than explaining why they’re backing out, they choose to disappear; hoping it will be less uncomfortable and the problem simply disappears.

Mental health or personal challenges

It’s possible some candidates may be dealing with stress, anxiety, or other personal factors that lead them to withdraw. Ghosting can be a way to avoid the emotional toll of formally quitting, especially if they’re feeling overwhelmed or not emotionally or physically ready to start a new challenge.

So, now we know the causes, how can you reduce the chances of being Ghosted by your new hires?

Here’s some tips and treats (no tricks here!) to give new employees an exceptional experience.

1. Review your compensation packages and workplace flexibility arrangements

First things first: how does your business fare against its’ competitors when it comes to pay, benefits and flexibility? The jobs market may be cooling, but it’s still very much an employee’s market right now – and people want more from their jobs!

With that in mind, ensure the compensation, benefits and perks offered by your company are aligned with market expectations. This will reduce the chances of your new hires being tempted away by counteroffers elsewhere.

Also, and if possible, allow some flexibility with remote work options or start dates. Some candidates might ghost you because their circumstances change, and they fear your business may be too rigid to accommodate their needs.

2. Maintain engagement between offer and start date

Our report into the state on onboarding revealed nearly a quarter of all new employees didn’t hear from their new line manager before starting their role. This can plant seeds of doubt that can ultimately cause new hires to reconsider their decisions. So, stay in touch with your new hires after they’ve accepted a job offer from your business.

A friendly welcome email, company updates or even personal notes from their new team members can help get them excited for their fresh start and engaged right from the off. A phone call or video chat from the hiring manager or your HR team a week before the start date can also reaffirm their commitment.

And, share your onboarding materials with them and ensure their resources (such as workstation or computer / laptop) are sorted before their official start date. If you have a lot of tasks and processes that need to be completed, HR software with dedicated onboarding software can make it a stress-free experience for everyone – just click here to find out how.

3. Create a positive candidate experience

Long, drawn-out hiring processes can cause candidates to lose interest pretty quickly. Avoid this by making your hiring & onboarding processes smooth and transparent to build both trust and enthusiasm. Sending a welcome gift or a personalised message from the CEO can create an emotional connection and make them excited to join you company.

If you have HR software with custom onboarding portals, create a customised onboarding portal tailored to them and their role. You could even include a personalised welcome video from their new team – building excitement and that all-important new job engagement.

4. Build the excitement and anticipation

Before your new hire starts, provide a clear and engaging onboarding schedule that makes them feel welcomed from day one. Not knowing what to expect when starting a new job can be unnerving for anyone. But, having a formal plan in place can help settle those nerves and prepare new hires for what’s to come.

Also, try to make their first day exciting and not just a total snooze-fest. Little things like a team lunch or informal welcome meeting can help calm those first day nerves, and give your new hires a true flavour of what they can expect from your business. If your new hires are based remotely or off-site, online tools can help you provide a warm welcome – even if it’s not in person!

5. Open channels for honest feedback

They may have said yes to your offer, but some candidates may have lingering doubts or hesitations. Many of these can be resolved through conversations. So, make it clear that your new employees can voice any concerns or hesitations before starting, and address concerns early by acting the feedback you receive.

However, if a candidate does ghost you, try to find out why. This may be tough and require a very ‘softly-softly’ approach, but at least you’ll have the answers you need to figure out what might have gone wrong and improve your processes.

Paul Bauer

Paul Bauer is the Head of Content at Cezanne HR. Based in the Utopia of Milton Keynes (his words, not ours!) he’s worked within the employee benefits, engagement and HR sectors for over four years. He’s also earned multiple industry awards for his work – including a coveted Roses Creative Award.