You prep for the interview, show up energized, maybe even make it through a few rounds. And then… silence. No feedback, no update, no closure. Just crickets. Sound familiar?
Over the past few months, I’ve had conversations with senior leaders, candidates, and fellow recruiters across our industries—and one theme keeps coming up: ghosting is still happening and not just from candidates (though yes, that happens too). Sometimes even after multiple rounds, communication just… stops.
Why? It’s rarely intentional. Priorities shift, hiring freezes emerge mid-process, and inboxes overflow. In today’s fast-moving and resource-stretched hiring landscape, things slip through the cracks.
But in industries like ours—where relationships matter deeply—those missed messages can leave lasting impressions. Silence can unintentionally send a message that we didn’t mean to send.
The encouraging news? A small gesture can make a big difference. A quick check-in. A “still waiting on updates” message. A kind, respectful note when moving in another direction. These are the things that build trust—and build company’s reputations, too.
Let’s keep bringing the human touch back to hiring. We can’t always control the process, but we can control how we show up—for candidates, for colleagues, and for each other.
Let’s ghost less, connect more.