People are 'ghosting' at work, and it's driving companies crazy

[Runwhiteboyrun]

Others might argue that it's a burden to wait for a phone call and tell you to get with the times and understand your employees. Not saying you're wrong, just that there are two sides to perception.

Click to shrink...

I did edit my post to add some clarification. Some stuff I will text them on. But most stuff I need verbal communication. I've got a younger batch of new employees that all seem to have their heads on straight and can communicate, so I'm happy overall.

 

[Micael]

Oh, like those times when companies rescind job offers?

I don't think many of us are trying to justify the behavior, but we are having a little ole giggle over the misfortune of the employers who have almost unanimously made the job hunting process (and in the retail/food sector, the job having process) actively an agonizing, unstable process where you never know when you'll be dumped like the worthless trash they know they think you are.

Click to shrink...

Sure but that is a proper comparison, because it is the company doing the same thing the employee did here, but the comparisons with job applications just seems crazy to me, since they aren't anywhere near the same level, it is like me saying it is ok to not show up for a date I setup with someone else because in the past people have not replied to my tinder requests. They are pure and simply vastly different things with significantly different expectations I would say. Also seriously people severely underestimate the amount of shit most employers have to go through with applications, in the place I work, for every decent application we get, we get 9 or more that are from people that didn't even read the ad.

 

[MrLuchador]

Meh, the relationship between employer and employee has been shit for decades.

 

[Deleted member 20296]

I guess I don't understand the kids. If someone called me for a ref check after a ghost quit I would say

'Shit employee do not hire'

 

[Bakercat]

I did edit my post to add some clarification. Some stuff I will text them on. But most stuff I need verbal communication. I've got a younger batch of new employees that all seem to have their heads on straight and can communicate, so I'm happy overall.

Click to shrink...

Ah sorry, I responded before the edit. Yeah, I understand the phone call for clarification cause I'd ask the same of an employee if it's not coming across clear in a text.

 

[The Albatross]

Seems really weird to me to go through the work of having screenings, interviews, accepting an offer and then just ... not show up to work, even if you have another, better job. The interview process is such a bitch that sending an email declining a job is one of the most effortless things about the interview process. I don't 'feel bad' for companies, but it's a pain in the ass for the people who put work in for you to be hired, HR, the manager hiring you, the people on your interview team, etc. Reflects very poorly on the candidate, and this is a pretty dumb thing to do career wise.

This isn't really the equivalent of recruiters not emailing you back or replying to an application. It would be as if a company gives you a job, and then you show up and they just ... don't pay you and don't let you into the building. I used to reply to personally reply to each recruiting message on LinkedIn turning them down 3-4 years ago, but now there's so many in my industry it's just non stop so I don't bother anymore.

 

[Zutroy]

It's not something I would do personally, however...

It's hard for me to feel sympathy when so many companies think it's cool to leave people waiting on an answer that isn't coming.

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

That sounds like some cowardly shit. If I call one of my employees to get an answer to an issue, I will not accept a text message response. Be an adult and talk on the phone. I'm not wanting to drag out a 3 minute phone conversation to a 20 minute 10 text coversation.

Click to shrink...

Is this at work or off the clock?

If I'm answering a question about work related matters when I get home, I'll answer the question at my convenience, not yours. Especially given that I can often be at places where firing off a text is much less disturbing to those around me than taking a phone call (say, at dinner, or hell, when I'm at the store, or the gym, or on a hike, or anywhere really).

 

[ArjanN]

I kinda assume if someone new doesn't show up they got a better offer in the mean time or realized they don't actually want the job.

If someone is already working somewhere and just doesn't show up again it's probably more specifically a 'fuck you'.

 

[Forsaken82]

Is it really that hard to say you are not interested?

Click to shrink...

Who said they aren't interested? In the past I've applied and interviewed at several locations at the same time, and receive multiple offers. Sometimes you accept one offer, and a better one comes in the next day. Why they feel so insecure to follow up after the fact is another story.

 

[Runwhiteboyrun]

Is this at work or off the clock?

If I'm answering a question about work related matters when I get home, I'll answer the question at my convenience, not yours. Especially given that I can often be at places where firing off a text is much less disturbing to those around me than taking a phone call (say, at dinner, or hell, when I'm at the store, or the gym, or on a hike, or anywhere really).

Click to shrink...

Really the only time I'm reaching out to an employee is to find out where they are, if they are not where they are supposed to be. Or didn't do something that they had promised to. Other than that, I only bother other managers at any time of day.

If it's just something general, it can be a text or wait until the next day really.

 

[The Albatross]

That sounds like some cowardly shit. If I call one of my employees to get an answer to an issue, I will not accept a text message response. Be an adult and talk on the phone. I'm not wanting to drag out a 3 minute phone conversation to a 20 minute 10 text coversation.

Click to shrink...

I don't think it has anything to do with being cowardly, but that phone calls completely interrupt whatever you're doing and are more disruptive to work than conducive to it.

It's one thing if you're messaging back and forth and need to jump onto a call quickly to hammer out a detail that you can't get across in text, but if I'm in the middle of something mentally intensive and if someone called me on the phone to ask me a pointless question that's important to them and not important to me, I'd be annoyed.

There are some people in my organization who are notorious phone callers, to the point that I hate working with them because they're discourteous about it. They're the person who can't figure something out on their own, so they message you (which is fine with most people), you reply back explaining something to them, and then they INEVITABLY call you as soon as you reply back, not even reading what you wrote to them. There's two people I work with who I can't stand because they do this all the time.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Really the only time I'm reaching out to an employee is to find out where they are, if they are not where they are supposed to be. Or didn't do something that they had promised to. Other than that, I only bother other managers at any time of day.

If it's just something general, it can be a text or wait until the next day really.

Click to shrink...

Fair enough.

 

[VentusGallius]

I've seen people recently outright ghost quitting. They put in for vacation and never come back. I used to find it crazy till I talked to one of them who did it and learned that basically contracting companies are so desperate for people of specific skill sets they are out there encouraging people to burn bridges.

 

[Runwhiteboyrun]

I don't think it has anything to do with being cowardly, but that phone calls completely interrupt whatever you're doing and are more disruptive to work than conducive to it.

It's one thing if you're messaging back and forth and need to jump onto a call quickly to hammer out a detail that you can't get across in text, but if I'm in the middle of something mentally intensive and if someone called me on the phone to ask me a pointless question that's important to them and not important to me, I'd be annoyed.

There are some people in my organization who are notorious phone callers, to the point that I hate working with them because they're discourteous about it. They're the person who can't figure something out on their own, so they message you (which is fine with most people), you reply back explaining something to them, and then they INEVITABLY call you as soon as you reply back, not even reading what you wrote to them. There's two people I work with who I can't stand because they do this all the time.

Click to shrink...

I can agree with a lot of that. If it is a stupid question, or a lazy person trying to be even lazier, then I understand and agree how those phone calls suck. I get those as well. I was more coming from the angle of a boss trying to get an answer from an employee.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

It's hard for me to feel sympathy when so many companies think it's cool to leave people waiting on an answer that isn't coming.

Click to shrink...

This is my opinion as well. I've been left waiting for weeks on end for jobs that I know I was qualified for and half the time don't get a response at all unless I call HR directly and bug them until they tell me what happened. I feel absolutely zero sympathy for companies on this.

Either treat your applicants with respect or don't feel bad when they don't extend the same courtesy to you.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I've had much more experiences with companies not ever bothering to get in touch after I apply. I've applied for 75 jobs in the past 2 months, I had one interview they told me I didn't pass on the day, one the company cancelled and never rescheduled or got in contact again despite me emailing them, a couple of companies that told me I hadn't passed to the interview, and the vast majority never got in touch or made contact in any way. Despite the fact the law says people with disabilities (I have Aspergers) are supposed to get a guaranteed interview. Companies are a bunch of dicks.

 

[Daemul]

Three fucking companies in a row ghosted me after apparently successful interviews. Asked me about possible starting dates etc. Then just never responded to any communications again.

And then one of them had the balls to email me a few months later asking if i was still interested in the job.

It ain't just employees doing this bullshit. And it ain't just millennials. Two of them were old farts.

Click to shrink...

Because unless you are some kind of genius in your area of expertise, there are thousands of persons out there that can do that job. Keep burning bridges and you will be pretty soon out of options. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about retail jobs, but more specialized areas.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, exactly this. And just because some companies act like arseholes doesn't mean you should act like an arsehole too.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I hate my current job and manager and am currently looking to get out(I have an interview this coming week which I hope goes well), but when I leave I'm going to make sure it is on the best possible terms.

I don't wanna burn bridges and have it come back and haunt me, you'll be surprised at how well connected people in professional fields are with each other.

 

[Jessie]

Companies aren't entitled to loyalty. How many companies get back to you after an unsuccessful job interview? Very few.

Ghosting a current employer sucks though. Unless it's a legitimately hostile, abusive environment. Then yeah, get the fuck out.

 

[Daitokuji]

Meh it goes both ways.

 

[Squarehard]

This has been happening to applicants by employers for a long time as well, so it goes both ways.

One of the few times I can actually use "both sides", without feeling dirty.

 

[KillingJoke]

Back when i was job searching I had 2 slam dunk phone interviews that went picture perfect, dude made it seem it was but mines but had to go through the process. Never called me back or answered 2 of my follow up emails. Pretty sure shit like this happens on the regular. Also tons of online applications where 80% of them don't even give a courtesy response.

Fuck them.

 

[Grapezard]

Hah, nope. They don't get to whine when they get a taste of their own medicine.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

We had a guy quit recently by not showing up for about two weeks and then someone saw facebook pictures of him in miami beach with an image caption implying he had moved down there permanently lol.

 

[vastag]

I don't wanna burn bridges and have it come back and haunt me, you'll be surprised at how well connected people in professional fields are with each other.

Click to shrink...

This. Is not about being considerate with the company or letting idiotic companies get their payback. Is about doing what is best for you in the long run. Just swallow your hubris and think long term. It has nothing to do with having the moral highground or them deserving it.

 

[Stranger Things]

i've "ghosted" fast food/retail jobs in highschool/college, because they were awful.
some managers would not schedule me hours, or blatantly leave me off the schedule - leaving me confused when/if i'm supposed to work during the week.

even after confronting them (politely) in an email or face-to-face, they would just make up some lame excuse or avoid me.
what is up with that? it's like you hired me, i showed positive results and good work ethic, yet you waste my time by not even giving me work.

i pretty much just stopped showing up for those jobs, collected my paycheck/direct deposit a month later, because they clearly didn't have any respect for me, even though i was the most respectful person at the workplace. most i did was send an email of resignation and then disappeared.

 

[Deleted member 4034]

This. Is not about being considerate with the company or letting idiotic companies get their payback. Is about doing what is best for you in the long run. Just swallow your hubris and think long term. It has nothing to do with having the moral highground or them deserving it.

Click to shrink...

It's competitive out there, if other people want to burn bridges, I'm not gonna stop them. Makes it much easier for me.

I for one, like this trend. And I know people know what they're doing. Their choice, let em.

 

[bawjaws]

Yeah, I hate my current job and manager and am currently looking to get out(I have an interview this coming week which I hope goes well), but when I leave I'm going to make sure it is on the best possible terms.

I don't wanna burn bridges and have it come back and haunt me, you'll be surprised at how well connected people in professional fields are with each other.

Click to shrink...

Very true indeed. I took great pains to leave my last job on great terms because my industry is a small one and you're pretty much guaranteed to come across the same people at some point, whether it's personally (looking for a new job) or professionally (tendering for a contract with other firms, or just liaising with other companies as part of the day-to-day).

 

[Glendemonium]

Yup, seeing this in my employer too.

Got accepted for an IT position, working as the sole supply clerk and can't transfer until someone takes over my position. Took some months of touch and go applicants and the company did give me my raise and let me work in the IT dept for one day per week so I can get much needed work exp for other jobs later down the line, but we have open positions here that aren't getting filled because they're worded to sound overly professional for what little pay and the kind of work it entails.

Before you ask, no there are hardly any IT positions available in my area, that's the shitty thing about smaller cities who outsource from major cities for their IT services. Student loan debt keeps me from saving to move since it was a dumb idea to go into computer science in a red state.

 

[LOLDSFAN]

It's hard for me to feel sympathy when so many companies think it's cool to leave people waiting on an answer that isn't coming.

Click to shrink...

Lol yup. Companies want their cake and eat it too.

 

[Chamaeleonx]

It's hard for me to feel sympathy when so many companies think it's cool to leave people waiting on an answer that isn't coming.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, isn't that what companies generally do? Some send you a rejection but a lot simply don't answer and you don't even get your documents back most of the time.

 

[Horp]

People here are so hostile and synical. I'm glad the environment between employers and employees is much better here in sweden.
Also, if someone I tried to hire did this I would go out of my way to make sure everyone I know in the industry knows about this persons behaviour.

 

[BKatastrophe]

We have a three step interview process:

Phone interview
Reference check
Face to face interview
Followed by a drug test.

People will go through everything and then hit the drug test and never even go take it. All that work and the drug test is what you won't do? And it's not like there isn't an open window of time for it. Or they'll do all that, work a few days, and no-call, no-show for the rest of the time. It's pretty ridiculous. If you need a job that badly and you go through that much effort only to not show up anymore?

 

[IsThatHP]

People here are so hostile and synical. I'm glad the environment between employers and employees is much better here in sweden.
Also, if someone I tried to hire did this I would go out of my way to make sure everyone I know in the industry knows about this persons behaviour.

Click to shrink...

You would go out if your to be vengeful? How...hostile and syndical.

 

[Horp]

You would go out if your to be vengeful? How...hostile and syndical.

Click to shrink...

I get it sounds like that. It isnt about vengence, its about warning others and also about him/her learning thats not how you do things. If I did something equally shitty, I expect him or her to warn his friends and circles about me/us.

 

[Deepthought_]

People here are so hostile and synical. I'm glad the environment between employers and employees is much better here in sweden.
Also, if someone I tried to hire did this I would go out of my way to make sure everyone I know in the industry knows about this persons behaviour.

Click to shrink...

Why ? You would ruin there chance for future employment

 

[Deleted member 2328]

People here are so hostile and synical. I'm glad the environment between employers and employees is much better here in sweden.
Also, if someone I tried to hire did this I would go out of my way to make sure everyone I know in the industry knows about this persons behaviour.

Click to shrink...

Are you saying your company never left someone who at least made it to an interview without a proper answer? Unfortunately companies who do that are way too common.

 

[Horp]

Why ? You would ruin there chance for future employment

Click to shrink...

Not even close. It would make the next company check with him/her twice that he/she is serious. In sweden we believe in not only second but third and fourth chances too.
But you gotta learn, and respect should go both ways.

 

[Horp]

Are you saying your company never left someone who at least made it to an interview without a proper answer? Unfortunately companies who do that are way to common.

Click to shrink...

Never on my watch. Ever.

Edit: clarifying; this was my previous company where I did hiring of engineers. Now I work at a much bigger company and doesnt work with hiring at all.

 

[Deleted member 4246]

.

 

[Inugami]

I've been ghosted by recruiters as well.

Click to shrink...

This. "We'll let you know within the week if you got the job or not." I can understand me not getting the job, but is it REALLY that hard to send an e-mail?

 

[RandomHopeInc]

Problem is that sudden vacancies mean more work for the rest of us because no one had been hired to replace the person who ghosted

A friend of mine left a job that way that I recommended to my boss. Anxiety is a hell of a thing, I'm guessing why some do this. Fear of confrontation

 

[catboy]

What sort of economy these people living in where they can ghost a job lmao

 

[VeryHighlander]

When someone has to deal with an applicant ghost their company, they are being paid while doing that. This is why no one should ever give a fuck that a company gets ghosted. A small business like a restaurant or something where your 'ghosting' directly affects another persons shift then you are an asshole. Big companies don't have any sympathy from me. They will ghost your ass at any opportunity knowing that they have power over you. You aren't being paid to deal with a company you don't work for.

 

[Brerlappin]

This. "We'll let you know within the week if you got the job or not." I can understand me not getting the job, but is it REALLY that hard to send an e-mail?

Click to shrink...

Exactly. I'd never ghost a job i was currently in, but id have no issue with ghosting a job offer or a recruiter. They ghosted me more times than i can count by now. Like if i made the effort to go in for an interview the least you can do is send me an email to say thanks but no thanks, but some companies aren't even capable of that little courtesy. So boo fucking hoo if employees are ghosting them now

 

[Jessie]

This. "We'll let you know within the week if you got the job or not." I can understand me not getting the job, but is it REALLY that hard to send an e-mail?

Click to shrink...

Yup.

These recruiters aren't considering the fact that job seekers have usually been ghosted by multiple recruiters along the way. They don't feel loyalty towards recruiters because they've been burned many, many, many times before.

 

[ghostemoji]

I'm curious how often these jobs tell a candidate they will be hearing from them only to never follow up with them ever again.

 

[linnus]

I've spent from jan to april of this year looking for a job, the process was really exhausting, none of them call me back to give me a proper answer, most of them just tell me "Ok, we'll talk soon", "We'll call you tomorrow", "We'll e-mail you" and completely ghosting me. Now I got a job on a gaming company that were totally different (and honest) with the whole process and it took only a week.

Once (like 8 years ago) I went through a (long) interview process for a TV network - the final step was going through a face to face interview with the director of the TV show that I was supposed to work on - which I did and it went really well. But after that, I was ghosted, never got any message from them. 3 months passed, I got another job, on another network, and them I got a call from that first network HR saying that the director really liked me and they wanted me right away. I refused, said they took too long to call me so I got another job. Few minutes later the director called me angry asking why I refused and saying I was making a mistake... They ghosted me for 3 months...

 

[entremet]

What sort of economy these people living in where they can ghost a job lmao

Click to shrink...

Job market is hot right now.

It's an employee's market if you have the right skills.

 

[WedgeX]

Good.

Employers have been shitty with their employees and hiring process especially since 2008. Supposedly we have full employment but there's still often an attitude that people should be endlessly thankful for their shitty jobs.

I had a manager send a mass email to his direct reports at my last job when we all got bonuses that we should be grateful that we even have jobs and that bonuses seem outrageous.

Click to shrink...

Yep. I feel little empathy for employers.