Ghosting in Recruitment– Recruiter Ghosting Vs. Candidate Ghosting

Ghosting in Recruitment 

You send in your application, maybe even ace an interview… and then? Silence. Or maybe you’re on the other end, extended an offer, and the candidate disappears without a trace. 

This is ghosting in recruitment, and it’s happening to both candidates and recruiters more than ever. Whether it’s a hiring manager who stops responding or a job seeker who vanishes after saying yes, ghosting can stall hiring, hurt reputations, and leave everyone frustrated. 

So why is it happening? And more importantly, how can we make it stop? Let’s break it down. 

Quick Summary:  

• Ghosting in recruitment happens when a recruiter or candidate suddenly cuts off communication mid-process. 

• Recruiters ghost due to hiring freezes, high workloads, or discomfort giving rejections. 

• Candidates ghost because of poor communication, faster offers elsewhere, or loss of interest. 

• Both sides suffer: broken trust, wasted time, and damaged experiences. 

• Communication, transparency, and smart tech like Hyreo’s AI engagement tools can help fix it. 

 

Types of Ghosting in Recruitment: Recruiter vs. Candidate Ghosting 

Ghosting in recruitment usually falls into two main types: recruiter ghosting and candidate ghosting.  

• Recruiter ghosting happens when a recruiter or employer stops responding to a candidate during the hiring process, often after a promising conversation or interview.  

• Candidate ghosting occurs when job seekers vanish by ignoring interview calls, skipping scheduled meetings, or even disappearing after receiving an offer. 

The ghosting in recruitment typically happens at crucial touchpoints: right after an interview, once an offer is extended, or when communication is expected but absent.  

According to the Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting report, 61% of job seekers reported being ghosted after interviews, a jump of 9 percentage points since April 2024, while nearly 10% say they’ve been ghosted after receiving a job offer.  

Also read: How to reduce candidate drop-offs post offer? 

Why Recruiters Ghost Candidates  

There could be varied reasons but moslty, recruiters may ghost candidates due to internal changes, hiring freezes, or shifting priorities. Sometimes, they simply move forward with another candidate and forget or neglect to update others.  

In other cases, recruiters may avoid delivering bad news, fearing it might harm their personal or employer brand. High application volumes, poor ATS workflows, and a lack of structured follow-up processes can also contribute to communication gaps. 

According to LinkedIn, 73% of 1,000 respondents in a survey conducted in India, experienced ghosting from prospective employers.  

What should I do if a recruiter ghosts me? 

Follow up once or twice. Keep it polite and professional, and you can do it via email or LinkedIn. If there’s still no response after a week, move on. Ghosting reflects poorly on the employer, not you. Use it as a learning experience and continue your job search. Always keep multiple applications in progress to reduce desperation or dependency on one role.  

How long should I wait before assuming I’ve been ghosted? 

If you haven’t heard back within 7–10 business days after an interview or promised update, it’s reasonable to assume ghosting. Send one polite follow-up. If there’s still silence, move on. Employers who are serious usually maintain communication or give clear timelines for decisions. 

What’s the best way to follow up after being ghosted by a recruiter? 

Send a short, polite email like: 

“Hi [Name], just checking in on the status of my application for [Role]. I’m still very interested and would appreciate any update you can share.” 

If there’s no response within a few days, it’s okay to let go. Always keep the tone professional—you never know when you’ll cross paths again. 

Also read: Candidate Experience for higher recruiter ROI and employer brand 

Why Candidates Ghost Recruiters  

Candidates ghost when they lose interest, accept another offer, or feel disrespected during the process. If you could just skim through candidate experience stats, you’ll see half of the candidates complaining about poor communication, where they never hear back for days from recruiters, and hence will quit the process and just move on. Long delays or confusing job details can also lead them to drop off. Some fear confrontation or feel they don’t owe a response if the employer hasn’t been transparent or timely themselves.  

According to the 2024 Candidate Experience Report by Career Plug, 44% of candidates admitted to have ghosted employers, pointing fingers to remote work, expanded job options, and recruitment process dissatisfaction as the triggers.  

With Gen Z, it’s just getting worse. According to TPD, 34% of Gen Z workers ghosted/career catfished their employers on the first day of their job. Just imagine–first day! It’s as painful as dropping out of the race right before the finish line.  

What should recruiters do if ghosted by candidates? 

If a candidate ghosts you, don’t take it personally. Start by following up once or twice to confirm their status. If there’s still no response, move on and update your pipeline. Use it as a learning moment: review where the drop-off happened, and check if the process was too slow, impersonal, or unclear. Strengthen communication, set clear expectations early, and keep candidates engaged throughout. Building a respectful, transparent experience reduces ghosting and helps you spot red flags sooner. 

Also read: Why AI Agents Are Game-Changers for Candidate Communication 

The Impact of Ghosting in Recruitment 

Ghosting doesn’t just cause momentary frustration; it has lasting consequences for both employers and candidates. When recruiters ghost candidates, it damages the company’s brand reputation, increases time-to-hire, and leads to higher drop-off rates in future hiring cycles. For candidates, being ghosted brings mental stress, self-doubt, and a sense of wasted time and effort. On the flip side, when candidates ghost employers, it disrupts workflows, delays hiring, and creates a resource drain. 

Most importantly, ghosting breeds mistrust on both sides. When communication breaks down, the hiring process becomes transactional and impersonal, leading to even more ghosting. According to a 2024 report by CareerPlug, 65% of job seekers said being ghosted made them less likely to reapply or refer others to the company. It’s a cycle worth breaking, and better communication is where it starts. 

Also read: Top 5 use cases of AI Agents in Hiring 

 

How Recruiters Can Prevent Candidate Ghosting 

Reducing candidate ghosting starts with creating a smooth, respectful, and engaging hiring experience. When candidates feel informed and valued, they’re far more likely to stay committed. Here’s how recruiters can make that happen: 

• Clear Communication – Respond promptly, be transparent about where candidates stand, and never leave them guessing. 

• Personalized Touchpoints – Even with automation, add human elements, like using names, tailoring messages, or checking in personally after interviews. 

• Set Expectations Early – Share timelines, next steps, and how decisions will be communicated right from the start. 

• Consistent Follow-ups – Regular check-ins (especially before interviews or joining) show professionalism and keep candidates engaged. 

• Respectful Rejections – Always close the loop, even if it’s a “no.” A courteous rejection message encourages future applications and referrals. 

• Leverage Smart Automation – Use AI tools to schedule reminders, answer FAQs, and nudge candidates.  

Also read: Top Tactics to Prevent Candidate Ghosting 

Can AI tools reduce candidate ghosting? How? 

Yes. AI tools can significantly reduce candidate ghosting by improving engagement, speed, and transparency. Chatbots and virtual assistants can instantly answer candidate queries, schedule interviews, and send real-time updates, keeping applicants warm and informed. AI can also identify drop-off patterns and flag disengaged candidates early, allowing recruiters to intervene before it’s too late. Personalized nudges, automated reminders, and interview prep tips delivered through AI-powered platforms help create a more responsive and respectful candidate experience, making ghosting far less likely. In short, AI doesn’t just automate communication; it helps humanize it at scale. 

At Hyreo, we go beyond automation to make every candidate feel heard before they even think of ghosting. 

Our 24/7 AI-powered chat and voice agents actively engage candidates across the hiring journey—answering queries, sending personalized updates, scheduling interviews, and even offering internal and external data insights. And, there’s more.  

• Intelligent AI that delivers contextual, personalized communication at scale, ensuring no candidate feels left in the dark and is pushed to ghost. 

• Predictive model that tracks candidate behavior patterns and alerts recruiters of potential ghosting, so they can intervene proactively. 

• Ticketing system (manual or automated) to flag high-priority candidates in later stages, enabling timely recruiter handshakes. 

• Real-time pipeline alerts/notifications that notify recruiters & hiring teams of bottlenecks or friction points, before candidates disengage. 

• Feedback-driven AI tuning—Hyreo captures feedback from candidates, recruiters, hiring teams, and other recruiting enabling functions like onboarding and background check teams to continually fine-tune our AI agents for specific hiring workflows consistently.  

One of our clients eliminated candidate ghosting entirely and saw a 12% drop in offer declines, simply by letting our AI Agents proactively handle the operations above, once again proving that ghosting isn’t just reduced but can actively be prevented with Hyreo platform.  

Check out our case studies 

Conclusion 

Ghosting in recruitment is frustrating, but it’s also becoming alarmingly common on both sides. Whether it’s a recruiter going silent or a candidate vanishing mid-process, the root issue often comes down to poor communication and broken processes. The fix? Respectful, timely, and transparent interactions. 

With platforms like Hyreo, recruiters can automate follow-ups, send real-time updates, and keep candidates engaged, reducing the chances of being ghosted. In a market where 44% of candidates admit to ghosting employers and 77% feel ghosted by companies, better communication is the only way. 

FAQs 

1. What does “ghosting in recruitment” mean?

Ghosting in recruitment refers to sudden silence, when recruiters or candidates vanish mid-process without communication. For recruiters, it’s often stopping contact after interviews or offers; for candidates, it means ceasing replies to outreach or skipping interviews/offers altogether. 

2. Why do recruiters ghost candidates?

Recruiters may get ghosted because of internal slowdowns, hiring manager indecision, flooding applicant volume, or fear of delivering rejections. In some Reddit accounts, ghosting sometimes reflects that a recruiter championed the candidate but lacked final approval to move forward. 

3. Why do candidates ghost recruiters or employers?

Candidates ghost employers when they accept another offer, feel uninformed or disengaged, experience lengthy hiring cycles, or feel hesitant about confrontation. Some report ghosting as a reaction to impersonal or delayed communication. 

4. How common is ghosting in hiring today?

Ghosting is increasingly widespread. Surveys show ~52–53% of job seekers report being ghosted, while nearly half of candidates admit to ghosting employers. In one Gen‑Z poll, 34% of young candidates ghosted employers multiple times, reflecting a two‑way dynamic. 

5. What can recruiters and candidates do to reduce ghosting?

Recruiters can curb ghosting by maintaining timely, transparent communication, setting clear expectations, using thoughtful automation, and following up with rejections. Candidates should send polite follow-ups, keep applications diverse, and avoid depending on a single opportunity.