Why Ghosting Your Recruiter is a Bad Idea

 We are in the middle of a very jobs heavy, candidate short market. Meaning that, no matter what sector you work in or what stage of your career you’re at, you’re probably going to have a lot more choice than you would have done if you had attempted a move eighteen months ago. As a recruiter, I understand that my candidates have options. They may well be seeking employment with another agency or on their own behalf. Prior to the pandemic, I had candidates decide – sometimes halfway through a process – that the job we were working towards together, was no longer in their best interests. Candidates can and do drop out at various stages in the process. That is natural. However, it is absolutely crucial that – if you do intend on doing so – that you let your recruiter know. Unfortunately, I have had candidates “disappear” at various stages in their job search. Some fail to respond to an email; don’t answer the call for a telescreen; neglect to turn up for their interview; and, worst of all, simply do not appear on their scheduled first day. This can be incredibly frustrating to both recruiters and businesses alike. Essentially, it is a waste of time for everyone involved – including yours as a candidate, if you’ve gone to the bother of registering, filling in forms and going to interview. With so many methods of communication available these days – WhatsApp, Zoom, email or good old fashioned text message – it is unfair to simply disappear off the face of the earth. It also really doesn’t inspire a good impression of yourself if you fail to turn up at your allotted time, no matter what stage of your job search you happen to be at. I understand that some candidates might feel nervous or embarrassed about letting me know that they have changed their mind about a job, but I’d much rather I knew. Being left wondering what has happened is not a good position to be in. (Especially since I won’t insist that you pick up the phone – drop me a text or and email to say you’ve changed your mind. It’s absolutely fine to do that.) To not show up effectively rules you out of securing a role and it could also prevent someone else from getting an opportunity by taking up an allocated time slot. Rightfully, candidates expect a level of service from their recruiter but then fail to reciprocate that respect by not turning up or answering calls. Moreover, it will make us question your validity as a candidate. How can we put you forward for job interviews, never mind a secure position, if you’ve already not shown up to a shift or failed to answer a call for a telescreen? It doesn’t exactly position you in the best light as a candidate. Recruitment agencies aren’t purely transactional units – we love chatting to people and getting to know them. It’s the only way we can really do our jobs well. We have to be in contact with our candidates and our clients to ensure the best possible match. I have a number of temporary roles currently available. If you’re not a part of the HRC Recruitment network, I’d love to have you register as a candidate. Let’s establish a great working relationship in order to help you on your career path. Click here to drop me an email and we can work towards a new temp role for you.