Written by David Jarvis, from the Mail on Sunday
February 24, 2024 22:05, Updated February 24, 2024 22:12
- Half of respondents said “ghosting” on the day of the interview is reasonable.
Ghosting is a well-known bane of the dating game, and now young people are ignoring companies that offer them interviews and jobs.
A survey found that cutting off contact without explanation or ignoring someone on dating sites is common among job hunters.
An astonishing 8 in 10 (79 percent) of Gen Z and Millennial job seekers (defined in the survey as 18-24 and 25-39 years old, respectively) have engaged in ghosting in the past year. was there.
A whopping 93% of Gen Z job seekers said they simply didn’t show up for an interview, and 14% said they had no previous impression of the company.
Nearly one in five Gen Zers said ghosting a potential employer makes them feel “empowered” and in charge of their career.
Nearly nine out of 10 people said they didn’t show up for work on their first day of work, and nearly a quarter said they left work without permission.
Millennials feel at least some guilt about this practice, with one-third admitting that getting rid of a potential boss made them anxious and two-thirds worried it would negatively impact their future. are doing.
But overall, nearly a third of both age groups said it was acceptable to ghost before an interview.
Exactly half said it makes sense to ghost companies on interview days because companies often don’t respond to job applications and don’t notify candidates if they’re rejected.
The survey found that 9 out of 10 companies recognized ghosting as a major problem, and 55% said ghosting made it difficult to hire talent. This phenomenon was noted by Ricky Martin, winner of his BBC television show The Apprentice in 2012.
His company holds evaluation days several times a year for graduates who wish to join the company, but he says, “Among those who accept invitations, the percentage of people who simply don’t show up is increasing.” says.
He added: “This is a huge change from the world I grew up in,” adding: “I got my first job delivering newspapers at the age of 13 and by 16 I was earning £2.97 an hour in my local Budgins. It became,” he added.
“Some of the work was tedious, but I never questioned the need for it. The effort was part of the path to success.” Twenty years later, I I’m having a hard time seeing the same attitude in this new crop.
“Many of the young people I have recruited are dedicated and enthusiastic, but their focus has changed.
“No matter how enthusiastic people are, if they come in for an interview, they ask what my company can do for them, not what we can offer them.” Social media influencers Young people who see them in action on the beach definitely believe they can do the same.”
For the study, hiring platform Indeed asked 1,500 companies and 1,500 adults whether ghosting is becoming common in hiring new employees. Danny Stacey, head of UK talent intelligence at Indeed, said: “It’s clear that ghosting has become an unwelcome phenomenon for employers.”
He added: “Workers point to being ghosted by their employers as a reason for doing the same. Companies should therefore have clear instructions to maintain communication on the part of employers during the hiring process. Yes,” he added.
Last week, a leading employment lawyer said apathy and mental illness among young people meant many were not coming to work. Nick Hurley of Charles Russell Speechlies said his firm had seen the number of companies seeking help for unexplained absenteeism more than triple since COVID-19.