Discover How To Keep Manufacturing Job Seekers Engaged

We’ve seen it. You’ve seen it. These days, even the best HR managers struggle to generate meaningful responses from job applicants.

As the manufacturing skill gap grows, it’s becoming more and more difficult for hiring teams to recruit and retain highly-skilled associates. You need top talent to handle your operations and keep everything running smoothly – but when you reach out to job applicants, you never hear back. They’ve disappeared . . . like some kind of ghost.

Why did candidate ghosting start? And what can you do about it? Keep reading to find out.

What is applicant ghosting?

“Ghosting” originated as a term in the online dating world to describe one party unexpectedly cutting off contact without informing the other person.

Unfortunately, this trend has expanded into recruitment . . . where it’s become commonplace for candidates to submit an application before falling right off the map.

Research shows that up to 50% of applicants become unreachable after applying. Essentially, these folks will stop responding – ignoring any emails or calls requesting an interview.

Another common and even more frustrating type of applicant ghosting occurs when you set an interview, but the candidate misses the meeting without notice or explanation.

What’s the impact of applicant ghosting?

Applicant ghosting can have a significant impact on your organization. First, there’s the obvious inconvenience and expense of going through the hiring process only to have the most promising candidates drop off. Depending on the ghosting rate, your HR team could be spending hours each week reviewing fruitless applications.

But the effects don’t stop there. If ghosting becomes a regular problem, you might find your facility understaffed for long periods of time. This can impact your ability to maintain your operational standards. And it can prevent you from scaling in an ever-difficult economy.

Why do applicants ghost?

There are a few reasons candidates might ghost, especially in today’s job market. There are more employers hiring than applicants looking for work, which means many candidates are free to pick and choose the company they want to work for.

It’s also easier for applicants to apply to jobs en masse using a variety of recruitment websites. Your ideal candidate might forget they even applied! And if they do remember, they’re probably busy talking to other employers (and scoping out the best offer).

Ghosting can also be heavily influenced by your communication standards and interview process. Think about it: How long does it usually take to reach out to someone after they submit an application?

If the answer is more than a few days, you might be partly to blame if you don’t hear back. After all, you wouldn’t wait a week or more to reach out to a potential client. Why would you do the same when trying to bring in one of your greatest assets?

What can I do to reduce applicant ghosting?

The key to getting more responses from applicants is to treat them the same way you would a potential customer. You need to think like a sales pro to keep them engaged and eager to respond!

It all starts with a killer job description. Cut out the vague, generic qualifiers and dig deep into what you’re looking for. Bonus points if you can explain what makes you an amazing employer.

After receiving an application, you need to follow up with the candidate right away. This could be as simple as an automated email that thanks them and shares a few key details about your interview process. When will they hear from you? Who will they be hearing from? Setting expectations early is essential to getting a response.

Experiment with different outreach methods to see what your candidates are most receptive to. Maybe a text is sufficient, while others find quick screening phone calls are the most effective strategy.

You’ll also need to pay close attention to your outreach frequency. Continue to check in with the prospect and keep them posted on where they stand in the process. The longer you go without sending a follow-up, the more likely it is that you’ll get ghosted! Make them feel at ease by encouraging them to ask questions and voice their concerns.

While this hands-on approach might seem like more effort, it won’t just reduce applicant ghosting – it will also make applicants want to work with you! When they see how organized, professional, and helpful your team is, they’ll be clamoring to jump on board.

Finally, you’ll need to know when to move on. No matter how flawless your recruitment process is, it’s inevitable that you’ll get ghosted from time to time. After a few (polite, not pushy) attempts to get in contact, it’s in your best interest to move on to somebody who’s demonstrated interest.

Stop ghosting. Start hiring.

By implementing better communication and engagement strategies with prospects, you won’t just see fewer applicants ghosting . . .

You’ll also be able to transform more talent into ideal hires. By working with them every step of the way, you can be confident each hire is fully committed and passionate about your business – and you’ll see the results on their first day and beyond.

Do you struggle to find enough qualified applicants for your vacancies? Is it becoming more and more difficult to keep in touch with prospects during the recruiting process?

The Manufacturing Headhunter can help. We make it easy for manufacturers to find and hire incredible talent through our specialized recruitment tactics. So instead of feeling the burn from unfilled positions, you (and your employees!) can fire on all cylinders.