Once reserved for online dating apps, the act of ‘ghosting’ has spread to Toronto’s red-hot hiring market as employers compete for temporary professionals.
ˈɡōstiNG/
verb: ghosting
- the practice of ending a relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.
As demand for temporary professionals increases, candidate loyalty decreases. Today, job seekers have options, and lots of them. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a candidate to accept a job offer, only to later accept another, more lucrative offer, from a different employer. Often, the original hiring manager is not even notified, leaving them in a lurch when the temporary resource fails to show up on the first day of the contract.
As a hiring manager trying to combat ghosting, it’s important to take a step back and consider the hiring market from the candidate perspective. Candidates are constantly job shopping – they have their resumes posted on multiple job boards and are often working with several staffing agencies who are constantly contacting them about opportunities. In a market this competitive, it’s easy for candidates to trade-up for a contract that has better pay, a more convenient location, a longer work term, or more opportunities for professional growth and development.
As we approach Q4, the demand for temporary professionals will continue to rise, as will the increasing likelihood of candidates turning down job offers or ghosting. Here are a few ways you can ensure your next temporary hire doesn’t disappear into thin air:
- Get approvals before going to market so you won’t encounter any barriers when you’re ready to move forward with a candidate. Time kills all deals, especially when it comes to top-tier talent.
- Shrink the hiring window by speeding up the interview and approval process, and make the start date sooner than later.
- Perfect your pitch. Know your organization’s selling features and be able to explain why it’s a great place to work. Simply stating that “it’s a family environment” or “we work hard and play hard” isn’t going to cut it – market your temporary roles like a permanent one and tell the story of why a strong candidate would want this job – highlight your team dynamic, growth opportunities, social events, professional experience to be gained, perks, etc.
- Make your best offer your first offer; in today’s market there’s no time for low-balling tactics or lengthy negotiations.
- Plan ahead and offer contract extensions as early as possible; top candidates are booking weeks, and even months, ahead.
- Maintain an open dialogue with temporary professionals once they’ve been hired about the status of their employment, job satisfaction, and long-term interest in your organization.
My advice to candidates? Take advantage of this amazing job market, but don’t burn any bridges along the way. If you’re pursuing multiple opportunities, exercise full disclosure when interviewing with various organizations. If you do decide to take another offer, personally notify everyone who will be impacted by your departure, including any recruiters you have been working with. Honesty and integrity in the job search process will benefit you immensely in the long-run and maintain your reputation with hiring managers and recruiters in your industry.
