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February 2022 - Business Support

Around three-quarters of job-hunters have ghosted an employer in the last 18 months: A survey of people who have been searching for employment in the last 18 months has found that 76% have 'ghosted' a current or prospective employer, with the research also finding that the Covid-19 pandemic has made it more likely that job-hunters would engage in ghosting.

Defined as the act of 'suddenly ceasing all communication without warning or explanation', ghosting has seen an increased number of mentions on the Glassdoor website, according to Jill Cotton a trends expert working for the company.

The research by Viser, polled 1,000 UK job seekers in December 2021, finding that ghosting is occurring across all levels of employment.

More than eight in 10 managers in mid-level roles admitted to ghosting a current or potential employer in the last 18 months, while two-thirds of low-level managers said they had done the same. The vast majority of executive managers (95%) also said they were guilty of ghosting in the last 18-months, while just over half the entry-level job-hunters polled said the same (48%).

Asked about their reasons for ghosting an employer, the top answer given was a 'negative first-impression', with a quarter of respondents saying this particular reason had prompted them to ghost an employer in the last 18 months (25%). Other reasons given were 'an inaccurate job description' (24%), 'lower salary than advertised' (24%), 'getting a more attractive job offer' (22%), 'concerns about company culture' (20%) and 'bad reputation of a company' (19%).

When asked about how they felt about ghosting an employer, nearly seven in 10 (68%) said that they had concerns about the impact ghosting might have on their career, while 61% said they had no concerns at all and felt comfortable with doing so.

According to the research, 46% of respondents said that a greater number of hybrid roles has made them more likely to ghost a current or prospective employer, while 45% said that recruitment processes taking a more informal form during the pandemic has made ghosting more likely.

Employees polled were also asked if they, themselves, had been ghosted by an employer in the last 18 months, with more than half (56%) saying they had.

While many respondents admitted to ghosting an employer, more than a third of respondents surveyed admitted that being ghosted by an employer would make them more angry than being stood up by a date.

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