Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.
Q: What can I do if I’m being ghosted after applying for a job?
A: There’s a lot about the job-hunting process that can feel demoralizing, but few things feel worse than putting in weeks of effort into applying for a job and hearing nothing back. Ghosting is a fact of living in the modern world, and many people are guilty of doing it in some form. In fact, a study by Indeed in 2022 found that 77% of job seekers have been ghosted by a prospective employer—10% even after a verbal job offer was made.
Here’s my advice from my perspective as a hiring manager for setting reasonable expectations during each step of the process:
The application phase
We’ll often receive 200 or more résumés when we post an open position. This is typical of most industries and some may receive even more. Every company, HR department, and hiring manager has a different process for reviewing those résumés and selecting which candidates to call for an initial screening or first round of interviews.
It’s time consuming, but I always read through all the cover letters and résumés to make sure we aren’t missing out on transferable skills or candidates with hidden potential that might otherwise get screened out. However, it’s unrealistic to write 190 emails telling a candidate that they didn’t make it past the first round.
As annoying as it is to send your résumé out into the ether and hear nothing, ghosting at this stage isn’t really ghosting and should be expected. If you want to make sure that a human reads your cover letter and résumé through, do a little leg work and find the email address of the person who is likely the manager for the role.
Chances are your application went through an applicant tracking system that scanned your résumé for keywords. You should always apply the way the job posting requests, but sending a direct email to the hiring manager can make sure it gets read.
After the first interview
Once you’ve spoken to a person at the company, whether it’s an initial screening with HR or a first round interview with a hiring manager, someone should follow up with you to let you know if you are advancing to the next round of interviews or not.
Unfortunately, this is often a stage where candidates are ghosted. One step you can take to help guard against being ghosted in after the first round of interviews is to ask how long their hiring timeline is. If they give you even a rough estimate (two weeks, a month), use that time frame as a guide for when to follow up.
After the second round of interviews
Another good question to ask in the first interview is what their hiring process entails. It can vary widely at companies, with some stringing candidates along for multiple rounds of interviews and putting them through the wringer with tests and sample work. Getting a clear expectation of not only how long the process will take but how many hoops you’ll have to jump through can be helpful in guarding against getting ghosted. Once you have a timeline, set reminders to check in.
Finally, if you do find out that you didn’t get the job, it doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation. Asking for feedback can not only help you for the next position you apply for, but it can also leave a good impression for future opportunities.
Speaking of, I can’t cover the topic of employer ghosting without stating what should be obvious: Hiring managers and HR, ghosting candidates at any point after the first interview is a huge mistake. If you took the time to speak to someone, you can take the time to let them know they aren’t getting the job. Ghosting is a surefire way to leave a bad impression and the world is too small. The candidate you ghosted for one job could end up being perfect for another role or could be a future client.
Want more advice to avoid getting ghosted? Here you go:
