It’s not a secret. Today’s hiring marketing is challenging. Healthcare organization managers> are desperate to find and hire top talent for critical roles. And nothing can be more frustrating than time-wasting candidate no-shows. Applicant ghosting is a real phenomenon, and hiring managers are tired of it. Today, we’ll address these missed interview appointments and first-day no-shows and offer a few tips to help you combat these frustrating situations.
1. Applicant Ghosting Is on the Rise
The numbers are coming in, and CNBC reported that more than one-third of GEN-Z candidates and more than one-quarter of millennials accepted new job offers, only to bail by not showing up ever again. Applicant ghosting doesn’t just happen among younger professionals, either. Veteran-level candidates are backing out without notice, too. And no-shows happen at various levels of the hiring process, including during the interview stages.
Forbes reported data collected by Indeed that found 28% of all job candidates ghosted hiring managers over the last year, an 18% increase from ghosting trends in 2019. But not all candidates will admit to such behavior, which is why the employer side of the coin demonstrates even more startling analytics. Over the past year, employers shared they have experienced ghosting at a rate of 57%.
You might assume there is a way to avoid reaching out to these “bad seeds” altogether. But in reality, there is no real consequence for individuals who ghost. So, it’s happening more often these days, and even candidates who normally wouldn’t engage in this unprofessional practice are doing it.
2. Why Jobseekers Are Ghosting
In order to combat the occurrence of applicant ghosting, it’s essential first to understand why it happens. Some suggest it’s the supply and demand tilt of today’s pandemic-affected working environment. Jobseekers aren’t feeling the desperation because there are robust job opportunities available right now. And when they feel they’re holding all the cards, along with the ease of anonymity of virtual hiring processes, it’s almost easier to just walk away from an interview or job offer. But as a hiring manager for your healthcare organization, how can you avoid wasting time with these candidates? And how can you combat this type of response?
3. Develop an Attractive Candidate Experience
You’re dedicated to offering employee benefits, company perks, and competitive salaries to take care of your existing teams of professionals. But now, you should also consider creating a hiring process with unique and attractive application experiences too. Candidates will be less apt to ghost you if they feel you’ve catered an application and interview process just for them. Avoid generic email responses or template timelines. Get creative with how you communicate with these candidates and consider engaging authentically in unique ways.
4. Transparency at Every Step
Applicant ghosting happens sometimes because individuals don’t understand the timeline. If an applicant doesn’t hear from you after a week, he or she might already be moving on to pursue other opportunities. To combat this, you can set the timeline expectations with transparency upfront. Consider improving your communication process within your hiring process in a way that makes your next-step agenda very clear. Tell candidates it may take one week to get through the first round of vetting. Be honest about other company professionals who may need to weigh in on the hiring decision. And paint the picture of what a perfect hire can expect from the entry point in the application process through to extending the job offer.
5. The Two-Way Interview
Candidates bail on potential job opportunities if they feel they’re just a number in a one-sided process. When interviewing professionals, remember to give them the floor, too. Of course, you’ll have your roster of applicant questions to ask. But it’s important to allow candidates to ask their questions of you, as well. Let them interview you and your healthcare organization. Look at this dialogue as an opportunity for you to find out more about their career objectives. You can then speak precisely to how your role can best complement their individual needs.
6. Competitive Offers & Flexibility
When hiring managers identify great candidates, they sometimes lose ground by extending a weak or less-than-competitive official offer. When applicants feel insulted by an offer, they’ll bail. When they feel you’re not putting your best foot forward in offering a customized, attractive contract, they may just ghost you. To combat this, consider getting flexible with how you extend offers.
You might have pay range constraints to which you’ll need to adhere. However, having the flexibility to offer unique perks, including remote working days, parking spaces, gym memberships, or free lunches, might help your bottom-line offer stand apart from the rest. High-demand candidates in the healthcare industry will find value in those additional benefits and will be less likely to ghost you.
To really get a hold of your applicant ghosting situation, it may be time to bring in a hiring partner. Contact InSync Healthcare Recruiters today and leverage the added healthcare hiring expertise to not only reduce the number of time-wasting ghosting candidates but also fill those critical healthcare roles more efficiently.