Haunted By Silence: How Job Seekers Can Avoid Being Ghosted

• In the corporate world, ghosting has taken on a new, unnerving meaning. 
• According to a TopInterview survey, 57% of respondents reported that they had been left without communication after an interview. 
• Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopInterview and a certified professional career coach, gave Allwork.Space her top five strategies to reduce the risk of being ghosted.

Are you afraid of ghosts? Well, in the corporate world, ghosting has taken on a new, unnerving meaning. 

In fact, the specter of being left in the dark after an interview haunts more job seekers than rejection or making a bad impression. With more than half of job seekers having experienced post-interview silence, the fear of corporate ghosting is real, and its impact is far-reaching — for both candidates and employers alike. 

TopInterview recently conducted a survey revealing the greatest fears job candidates experience after an interview. The primary concern is being “ghosted” by recruiters or hiring managers, with 57% of respondents reporting that they had been left without communication after an interview. 

Other concerns include:

• rejection (30%)
• making a bad impression during the interview (26%)
• competition (19%)
• salary negotiation (9%)
• networking (9%)
• age discrimination (7%)

The survey also found that ghosting has negative impacts on employers, with 69% of respondents saying their opinion of a company was negatively affected if they were ghosted. 

Being ghosted isn’t the only scary part of job seeking. In-person interviews are considered the most frightening (57%), followed by video interviews (29%) and phone interviews (14%), possibly due to changes in work environments post-pandemic.

Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopInterview and a certified professional career coach, gave Allwork.Space her top five strategies to reduce the risk of being ghosted:

1. Do Your Research: Use company review sites like Glassdoor and leverage your professional network to learn more about the company and its hiring process. This feedback can help you understand what to expect during the interview process and how responsive a company may — or may not — be with candidates.
2. Ask the Hard Questions: During the interview, ask the hiring manager or recruiter if there’s any reason they would be reluctant to hire you. Alternatively, you can ask them how you stack up against the other applicants they’ve interviewed. Not only will their response help you gauge their interest in your candidacy, but it will also give you an opportunity to overcome their objections while you still have their attention. 
3. Get Expectations Set: Toward the end of the interview, ask your interviewer about the expected timeline for making a hiring decision, and whether you can follow-up with them via email or phone. This can give you an idea of when to follow up and reduce your uncertainty.
4. Follow Up Promptly: Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview. Express your appreciation for the opportunity, reiterate your interest in the position, and ask about the next steps in the hiring process. This shows professionalism and your earnest interest in the role.
5. Connect on LinkedIn: If you haven’t connected with the interviewers on LinkedIn yet, do so after the interview as part of your follow-up process. It may be easier to stay in their network and remain on their radar when your updates and posts pop up in their feed.