Why Are Candidates Ghosting After Committing? How Can We Prevent This Trend?

Recently, we have seen many candidates drop out or not join the company after making a commitment. They simply stop answering consultants and company phones.

A lot of time, energy, and money is invested in recruitment activities, but due to such candidates, all efforts go in vain. This issue is not only with junior candidates, but even senior profiles such as CFOs or GMs have started behaving in the same manner.

Is there something that can be done to prevent this unethical practice by candidates?

Hi,

I am not sure about the nature of your industry, but what you can do is conduct some reference checks on candidates before offering them a job. This will give you some insight into their credibility. Additionally, please note that just as an employer would, an employee will also try to gather information about the company before joining. If they come across negative feedback, it might influence their decision to accept the offer.

Regards,
Manish

First thing, improve your company brand name. People seldom drop out of companies where they see a brighter future. Companies need to analyze the reasons for dropouts. Is your workspace atmosphere not up to standard? What about the pay scale and HR practices? Introspection and self-analysis should be done. Are competitor companies also facing such problems? I wouldn't call it a wrong practice of candidates. Just as a company looks for the best candidate, a candidate looks around for the best employment opportunity.

Thank you, @Manish1311 and @Nathrao, for your prompt responses. I wanted to share that I own a recruitment consultancy. Recently, candidates who have been offered jobs in MNCs or reputed Indian corporations are dropping out or not joining at the last moment. Surprisingly, these candidates were given the exact salary and designation they had requested. Despite this, they are still opting out. This trend is increasing daily, causing financial, energy, and time losses for not only consultancies but also for companies.

Probably when your consultancy accepts a candidate, do a full interview and ask for references. Try to analyze the CV - type of companies worked for, nature of work, salary, etc. What is the frequency of such events? Out of 10 candidates, how many have dropped out? Compare their lost job/package with what they were going to get in the new company. Beyond this kind of analysis and earlier cross-checks while taking up the candidature of such people, not much else can be done.

Thanks again for your inputs. We used to conduct small phone interviews before sending the resumes to the client. Those who sound uncertain or unreliable are dropped at that stage, and we do not process their resumes further. Reference checks are typically done by our clients towards the end before issuing an offer letter.

Candidate Dropout Issue

It can be observed that out of every 10 candidates we place, 3 of them do not join the company after receiving the offer letter. Is there a way for consultants and companies to collaborate and find a solution for this issue? It seems that certain candidates, whether junior or senior, are taking advantage of the system, and it is important for both companies and consultancies to address this.

I do not advocate for candidates to be forced into joining any company, but there should be a level of ethics and professionalism maintained throughout the hiring process. Your insights on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

"Can't we (Consultants and Companies) come together and find some solution for this as such candidates (Junior or Senior) are taking us (companies and consultancies) for granted."

Such unity will be difficult to achieve. You are looking for business; companies are looking for suitable employees. You will have to devise suitable techniques to judge to the best of your ability whether the candidate recommended will jump ship before it sails. By the way, the candidate is not taking anything for granted. He is only looking for the best deal in all respects in his mind.

Hi,

As an HR professional, we face these issues regularly. The only thing we can do is to assess the candidate's requirements for the job being offered. Is it necessary or just a casual requirement? If it is casual and yet we offer only a minimum increment, there is a higher possibility of the candidate dropping out.

Hi,

As HR professionals, we often encounter these issues. First and foremost, as a Recruiter, be proactive and keep the lines of communication open with the candidates. Call them periodically and establish a rapport with them. If they express any concerns during this time, escalate it to the relevant Head of Department and assess what actions HR can take. Alternatively, ensure there is a pipeline ready.

Wishing you a great day.

Regards,
Chitra

Analysis of Candidate Commitment

Yes, we also face this issue frequently. To minimize this, we conducted a quick analysis of the last 6 months' database of employees who joined us. We found that there are 3 categories of candidates:

1. Those who resigned upon our offer.
2. Individuals who are not currently working and can join immediately (out of a job for only a few days).
3. Those who have offers and are negotiating for counter offers from other companies.

Reliability of Candidate Categories

What we discovered is that category 1 is the most reliable as they resign upon our offer, indicating about 75-80% commitment to join us, and eventually, about 85-95% of them do join.

Category 2 represents a "grab it or lose it" scenario. Although they are not currently employed, they possess the necessary skills and aptitude. By promptly connecting with them and finalizing the procedures, there is a high probability of them joining us. In 95% of cases, they end up joining us and are satisfied.

Category 3 consists of individuals who continue hunting for opportunities until the last day of their notice period but ultimately end up joining their first choice company.

Hopefully, this information will be beneficial to our fellow HR professionals.

Thanks,
Vandana