You’ve been ghosted!
We’ve all been out there looking for a job at some point. For every ten applications sent you may receive one reply. You set up an introductory call with the recruiter and then…… nothing. No email, no call. You’ve been ghosted.
Although being ghosted is frustrating and perhaps unexpected, there are two sides to the recruiting coin. On one side, you have the pandemic which brought layoffs, resignations, and a change in the way we work (onsite v. virtual). Recruiters had a rough time trying to fill and backfill positions during COVID. Either there were no jobs to be filled or, folks weren’t ready to go back into the workforce.
Fast forward to the other side of the coin, post pandemic. The market is flooded with candidates eager to go back to work and now, they have many options. Candidates can apply for onsite, remote, or hybrid positions. Recruiters are overwhelmed with volume of applicants, sometimes +200 applicants per position according to LinkedIn. Of course, that’s not an excuse for lack of follow up.
Organizations must focus on this market shift and reset expectations for their talent acquisition teams. Providing additional tools and resources is a great place to start:
Centralize the recruiting function as its own functional area.
Create a step by step plan or checklist for recruiters to following throughout the process.
Use templates. Using templates takes the guess work out of communication and ensures that all candidates in each hiring status receives the appropriate feedback and communication in a timely way.
Provide formal, paid recruiting platforms such as Indeed and ZipRecruiter or, purchase recruiting modules through existing HRIS which have communication and followup tools embedded.
Train recruiters how to professionally reject candidates by practicing with them so they will be ready and able to take action when the time comes.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.