According to Merriam Webster, ghosting is defined as the “phenomenon of leaving a relationship of some kind by abruptly ending all contact with the other person, and especially electronic contact, like texts, emails, and chats without explanation.” 

Most people have a story of being ghosted or ghosting others in the process, and it might look like this:

So you’ve just interviewed with the company of your dreams… You thought it went really well, but then you don’t hear from the hiring manager again. You follow up, and still no response. You’re a bit dejected, but you eventually move on. This frustrating experience is happening on both sides of the recruiting coin. 

Ghosting was once thought of as extremely unprofessional, and at the very least an excuse would be given as to why you didn’t show up. These days, people have less scruples surrounding the interview process and even the first few days on the job. Why? Because of the competitive market. They believe that they don’t have to let people know they won’t be contacting them further because there could be (and often is) a better offer around the corner. 

The bottom line? Your reputation matters. If you continually ghost people in your industry, we’re here to tell you: The world is just too small for that. Ghosting is just plain unprofessional. It takes only a few minutes of your time to send a quick email or text with your reason for skipping out on an opportunity. A little communication certainly goes a long way in the job interviewing and recruiting processes.

Final Thoughts

Ghosting is not great. So don’t do it! Stand out as a candidate who always responds in a positive, professional manner. Like its dating namesake, ghosting is rooted in a lack of commitment. Once you commit to a job search the professional response is to follow through. Even if its “no thank you”.