Candidate Ghosting: Australia's Latest Recruitment Headache
It’s official, ghosting isn’t just reserved for awkward online dates anymore. Australia’s recruiters are now facing their own spooky scenario: candidate ghosting. If you’ve had a promising candidate vanish like an ice cream cone on a Summer’s day, welcome aboard the latest HR horror train.
But fear not, this isn’t another doom-and-gloom article. Instead, let’s dive into why this bizarre trend is happening, the impact it’s having on Australian businesses, and how Testgrid’s cutting-edge assessment technology can help you become a certified “ghostbuster.”
GHOSTING: MORE THAN JUST A HALLOWEEN PROBLEM
A recent survey by SEEK highlighted a scary statistic: 43% of Australian employers reported candidate ghosting in 2024. Candidates vanishing mid-process, ignoring calls, emails, and interview invites, leaving HR managers baffled and frustrated.
So why are candidates pulling Houdini acts? It’s tempting to blame the TikTok generation’s famously short attention spans (easy scapegoats, right?), but let’s be fair, there’s a bigger picture:
1. Lengthy Recruitment Processes
Long, drawn-out hiring processes cause candidate fatigue. A recent Gartner survey revealed 57% of job seekers lose interest if hiring exceeds three weeks. Companies taking too long lose candidates to quicker competitors.
2. Poor Candidate Experience
Ghosting is often a mirror reflecting your own hiring process. Applicants ghost when they feel ignored or mistreated. Research from Indeed shows that 65% of candidates who experienced poor communication during hiring are likely to ghost or withdraw.
3. Skilled Talent Has Choice
Australia’s talent market has started to stabilise, with unemployment currently sitting at 4.1% according to the ABS. While the market is no longer at peak tightness, candidates are still exercising choice, particularly skilled talent. If your recruitment process is clunky, unclear, or slow, there’s still every chance your ideal hire will vanish before you can lock them in.
THE IMPACT OF GHOSTING ON YOUR BUSINESS
HOW YOU CAN BUST THE GHOSTING TREND
GET IN TOUCH
Ready to take control and become your organisation’s ultimate ghostbuster? Contact Testgrid today, and let’s make candidate ghosting a thing of the past.
If you want to talk to one of our experts about our tailored solutions, get in touch with our team here, or call 03 9040 1700 to learn more.