The Perils of Professional Ghosting

Has Professional Ghosting Crept Into Your Workplace?

Halloween is right around the corner, and the streets will soon be filled with little witches, goblins, and ghosts. But what about the ghosts wandering the corporate realm?

Ghosting was once a term reserved for the dating scene and used to describe a person who suddenly disappeared from the relationship by going dark on social media, chats and other digital communication. As with most digital trends, it was only a matter of time before the ghosting phenomenon crept insidiously into the workplace. Professional ghosting is just as unpleasant and unnerving as personal ghosting and can take many forms:

Examples of Workplace Ghosting

Managers ignoring job applicants, even after sending strong hiring signals.
Candidates failing to appear for scheduled interviews with no explanation.
Candidates accepting a job and never showing up.
Employees leaving a job with zero notice and ignoring communication attempts.
Candidates suddenly ignoring a recruiter that has been working on their placement.

Reasons for Ghosting

Employment professionals have identified many reasons that professional ghosting has become rampant:

The job market is excellent and qualified candidates often have more offers than they can handle. Most people do not like confrontation or awkwardness, so they select the route of least resistance where no response is, in itself, a response.
The younger generation of millennials and Gen Z are less adept at face to face, or even digital conversations, that are unpleasant.
Some people can’t say no, and they overcommit instead of turning down offers.

Consequences of Ghosting in the Workplace

While the person doing the ghosting may feel that their disappearance is a harmless and inevitable part of doing business, the person who has been ghosted often has a bitter impression that isn’t quickly forgotten. Anyone who intends to build a career should consider these factors:

Reputation– Most industries are close-knit, with the same professionals sharing information, advice and business leads. If someone has been ghosted, they will share the experience with others, and word will get around pretty quickly.
Relationships– The job market is excellent today, but ghosting an employer or recruiter will burn bridges in your professional life. It’s risky to alienate a manager you may end up working with in the future or a recruiter who could be instrumental in developing your career.
Respect– The Golden Rule applies in the workplace, just as in personal relationships. Treat others as you would like to be treated. A simple phone call or email explaining the situation may be uncomfortable, but it is preferable to vanishing into thin air – like a ghost.

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If you are ready to start developing a professional relationship with a trusted advisor, contact a consultant at Collier Legal Search to find out how we can help you attain your career goals.

Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and unique approach to building our candidate database delivers dependable results.

We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates.