Why Recruiters Ghost Candidates, and What You Can Do About It
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
“Trevor, why do recruiters and hiring managers ghost candidates? Is there anything I can do about it?”
Ah, recruiter ghosting - the unwanted job seeking cliffhanger no one asked for.
You smash the interview, there’s lots of positive nodding. Then the interviewers they say “We’ll be in touch soon”, and then?
Nada. Zilch. Nichts. Niets. Nothing.
Not a call. Not an email. Not even a “Sorry, the role’s been filled.” or “we suddenly hired an internal candidate”. Just digital tumbleweeds.
Let’s call it what it is: ghosting. And it sucks.
But here’s the kicker: it’s not just frustrating - it’s bad business.
- 65% of job seekers say they’ve been ghosted after an interview (Indeed).
- 80% say it negatively impacts their perception of the company (CareerBuilder).
- 49% say they’d think twice before applying again to either the recruiter or their client.
Can you blame them?
So why does ghosting happen?
Let me break it down - and it’s not pretty.
1️⃣ The recruiter got ghosted by the hiring manager. Yep. Client to recruiter comms can be a shambles.
2️⃣ The role was pulled, frozen or filled internally - and no one updated the process, or the candidates.
3️⃣ They’re juggling 50+ roles and forgot to follow up. Not an excuse - but a reality.
4️⃣ They’ve decided you’re not “the one” - and didn’t have the guts or time to tell you.
Now, let me be clear: I know plenty of brilliant recruiters and hiring managers who do the right thing - even when it’s hard or difficult. But ghosting is still way too common, unnecessary and disrespectful.
So what can you do?
Here’s my playbook for ghost-busting:
✅ Send a short, professional follow-up 5-7 business days after your last contact. Something like:
“Hi [Name], just checking in on the status of the [Role] position - I’m still very interested and would love to know if there’s been any movement.”
✅ If you hear nothing? One more follow-up. Then move on.
✅ Don’t chase indefinitely. If they don’t respond after 2 nudges, you’ve got your answer. Time to focus on better opportunities.
✅ Tell your friends and colleagues in a group chat. Let them know to be wary of such recruiters, companies and hiring managers. Venting is therapeutic and helpful to others.
And recruiters - if you’re reading this:
Please just say, “It’s a no.” It takes 10 seconds. We’re all adults here.
And if you’re getting ghosted by your clients, maybe it’s time to get new, respectful clients.
Ghosting doesn’t protect your brand. It damages it.
Job seekers have long memories - and long LinkedIn networks.
So let’s do better. Let’s bring some humanity back to hiring.
How do you feel about ghosting? Had enough? Me too! Tell us about your ghosting stories in the comments.
Also, feel free to subscribe to our Good IT Recruiter Guide to connect with the good recruiters.
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