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This study examined predictors of 'ghosting', an extreme form of applicant withdrawal in which applicants fail to appear for scheduled interviews and completely cease all communication. These predictors included frequency of recruiter communication, knowledge of the company, gender, conscientiousness, and helicopter parenting. All predictors were found to significantly predict ghosting such that frequency of recruiter communication and candidates' knowledge about the firm influenced the level of attraction that candidates feel toward an organization which, in turn, influenced their likelihood to ghost an organization. Conscientiousness, gender and helicopter parenting also related to ghosting. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Keywords: ghosting, recruitment, applicant withdrawal
INTRODUCTION
"Crystal Romans, a recruiter in North Carolina, set up a face-to-face interview with a job candidate for a position at a large bank She confirmed the time, 8:30 a.m., the night before and had a colleague stationed to walk the candidate into the room. When morning came, the candidate never showed. Panicked, Ms. Romans sent text messages. She called. She left the applicant a voice mail. Silence. "
-Cutter (2018)
The term "ghosting" has been used in the dating literature (e.g., Freedman et al., 2019; LeFebvre et al., 2019) to describe a relationship dissolution process in which one member of the couple ends the relationship by simply disappearing (like a ghost) - - no phone call, no text message, no social media posts, nothing but silence. As described in the scenario above, this phenomenon is now occurring in the workplace as well. A recent survey by job search engine Indeed found that 83 percent of the 900 employers polled had been ghosted by a job candidate who either did not show up for an interview or stopped replying to hiring managers (Lewis, 2019). According to Will Staney, the founder of Proactive Talent, a Texas-based recruiting and consulting firm, casinos and restaurants are experiencing ghosting rates as high as 50 percent (Maurer, 2019). As a result, some recruiters overbook interviews, knowing that probably half of the appointments may not show up. While ghosting is clearly a frustration for recruiters, it does not appear that job applicants have the same view. For example, a recent survey by Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews company, reported that more than 40 percent...