Dear Candidates…

All right, candidates, listen up. 

Lately, we at The James Allen Companies have noticed a troubling trend that is quickly becoming more and more rampant: ghosting. 

The reason we bring this up today is simple: ghosting has crept into the professional world. More than ever, we’re seeing candidates dropping out of the interview process without a word or even accepting positions only to not show up on the first day. As recruiters, we’ve seen it all and we know the consequences of these actions.

“Ghosting” refers to abruptly cutting off contact with someone. This term originated among millennials in reference to romantic interests virtually disappearing without a trace; however, the term has gained so much traction it’s made its way into the dictionary. 

So, if you’re thinking about ghosting us (or even another person, which is also uncool) give us a moment of your time to learn why this is not a good idea.

Give us a chance.

It is our guess a lot of our candidates who drop out of interview processes without a word do so because they’re concerned, either about the position or about the company. Again, this is a guess since these people aren’t telling us. 

The most important thing our candidates can do during this process is ask questions. Give us a chance to address your concerns, ease your anxieties and be your advocate. If you are at all uncomfortable during the hiring process, we want to know why so we can inform employers if they’re doing something wrong or if we are. Give us a chance to help you make a career move that can better your future.

Be professional. 

Leaving someone “on read” isn’t cool in the dating world, and it’s definitely not cool in the professional world. Not showing up to an interview you agreed to or not showing up on your first day of work is not just uncool, it’s unprofessional. 

In the insurance industry, professionalism and honesty are traits you need to have; if you’re not interested in taking a job, be honest and say so. If you don’t, you tarnish your own reputation and burn bridges you don’t want to burn. 

Don’t burn bridges. 

When you’ve expressed an interest in making a career change, we take that seriously. If you tell us a position or company isn’t right for you, it’s OK. We want you to make a decision that works best for you and your family. However, if you drop out of the interview process without a trace or fail to show up for your first day on the job, you not only make yourself look bad, but you damage our reputation as well. That’s not something we take lightly. 

If in the future, you find yourself once again in need of a career change or are interested in a different position at the company, the chances for you don’t look good. Employers don’t forget being burned and we will take that into consideration before helping you again. You can’t predict the future, so don’t burn the bridges you’ve built by engaging in the interview process. 

Save us all the time.

Recruiters are passionate about what we do. We dedicate every available resource we have advocating for our candidates and helping them find new opportunities that can drastically improve their lives. Even after you’ve gone through interviews or accepted a position, we are at your side running follow-ups to make sure the transition is going smoothly. 

If we don’t hear from you, we get concerned and, the more you ignore us, the more curious we get. Just like a romantic interest would want closure, we do too. When you give us closure, we leave you alone. Save yourself from having to ignore our endless phone calls and emails and save us the time of having to make those calls and send those emails. Save our clients from the frustration of waiting on a response from a candidate they found interesting.

Ghosting isn’t cool, especially in the business world. In the end, the only person you hurt is yourself. At The James Allen Companies, we are dedicated to helping skilled professionals make career moves that improve their lives, but without proper feedback, we can’t help you. By vanishing into thin air, you miss out on opportunities that could be truly life-changing. 

If you’re interested in partnering with a recruiter who will be your greatest advocate and answer your questions honestly, please contact The James Allen Companies today.