Ghosting in the job interview: find out what it is and how to act

The subject ghosting in the job interview It has become increasingly common in the professional environment, and both companies and candidates suffer from it.

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In general, the word “ghosting” is used to define sudden and unexplained relationship endings, so how could this apply to the professional world?

In today's material we will talk briefly about the subject, in order to clarify this and other issues that surround it.

So, if you want to stay prepared for the current challenges of finding a job, read on!

What is ghosting in a job interview?

When you do a brief Google search on the term “ghosting” you will come across explanations related to relationship endings without any explanation.

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So, in practice, “ghosting” is the habit of ending cycles and relationships suddenly and without explanation, leaving the other party confused and not knowing how to proceed.

If we are to apply this to the job market, specifically to the recruitment process, we will soon remember several situations where one of the parties simply disappeared, not continuing the selection process.

This brings some losses to the “abandoned” party, who does not know whether to continue with the process, or consider it closed.

Then the Ghosting in a job interview is nothing more than that classic situation in which, after the interview, one of the parties disappears without any explanation, making the selection process impossible to progress..

It is worth mentioning that, in most cases, the party that abandoned the process does not respond to contact attempts, making the situation even more difficult.

What are the harms of ghosting in a job interview?

At this point we have already clarified the central issue in today's content, which is about the concept of the famous ghosting in the job interview.

However, there is another topic of extreme relevance, which talks about the losses of this practice, which occurs both for companies and candidates.

Speaking of losses of ghosting for candidates, we can highlight:

  • Low self-esteem: the candidate believes that he did not do well enough in the interview, and that is why he did not receive feedback.
  • Confusion when getting a job: Sometimes the candidate waits for the interview to return, while other opportunities pass by.

Already the losses of ghosting for companies are the following:

  • Waste of time: the company believes that it has found the ideal candidate, but, after going through ghosting, it realizes that it has only wasted time, as it will have to continue the search.
  • Resource expenditure: a selection process demands money, so when ghosting happens, this expense is wasted and will have to be repeated.
  • Process clutter: When a company opens a selection process, it is because it needs to meet a demand. When the candidate simply disappears, this progress is paused, which hinders the fulfillment of the demand.

Ghosting in a job interview brings losses to both sides, so it is crucial that both companies and participants commit to maintaining responsibility throughout the process.

This might interest you: 5 benefits to promote employee well-being and the importance of doing so – VitalyBrasil.

How to deal with ghosting in a job interview?

One of the biggest problems with ghosting in a job interview is that those who suffer from this practice end up getting lost in the situation, precisely because they are confused by the sudden disappearance.

In general, a lot of time is wasted waiting for the party that abandoned the process to return, which could be spent on something truly productive. 

Therefore, we will now see the best way to deal with the situation.

1. Contact the company/candidate 

The first step to dealing with ghosting in a job interview is to get rid of inertia, which is responsible for anxiety and cluttered processes.

So, look for ways to contact you, whether by email or telephone, and allow up to 3 business days for a response.

By getting in touch you will avoid that situation of anxiously awaiting the call, although there is a possibility that it will never happen.

Furthermore, if there is no response, at least you will not have wasted so much time waiting, and you will be able to move on to another process straight away.

2. If there are no answers, move on to another

The most important thing when dealing with ghosting in a job interview is to accept that the situation occurred, and thus avoid harboring hopes of contact.

Continuing with the previous tip, after the stipulated deadline for return, if this did not occur, consider that the contact will not happen.

This will allow you to move on to new possibilities, avoiding wasted time and resources.

3. Register the name of the company/candidate 

Throughout this content it became clear that ghosting is a highly irresponsible and disrespectful practice, as it leaves the other party without explanations and disrupts processes.

So, when you realize that you've been through this, it's crucial that you register, even if mentally, the name of the company or candidate.

The idea is that you register your name to avoid participating in future opportunities, as sometimes we forget and end up going through the same situation.

Remember that those who commit ghosting have this as a habit, so the chances of it happening again are not so low. So, be careful and avoid putting yourself in this situation.

Keep your hopes up, because the ideal opportunity will come. Ghosting is not the fault of those who experience it, but rather the lack of responsibility of those who commit it, so know how to move forward with your head held high.

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