The real ‘ghosting’ problem in recruitment is recruiters ghosting candidates.

Here is the news.

Agency recruiters are not the worst offenders.

Talent Acquisition and corporate recruiters have generally perfected candidate ghosting on an industrial scale.

In all cases, it’s a disgrace. It is one of the dysfunctions of our profession. And AI is making it worse. Many AI products on the market now are actually automating dysfunction.

However, it is also true that candidates and clients ghost recruiters. And it hurts when that happens.

A candidate seems keen, replies to your outreach, and may even go through an interview or two, only to suddenly disappear. No reply. No update.

A client briefs you on a role and informs you of its urgency. You do the sourcing, screening and shortlisting, and then they vanish into the abyss just when momentum matters most.

It’s frustrating.

When it comes to candidates ghosting recruiters, there’s usually a specific trigger reason. They’ve accepted another offer. They’re overwhelmed. They changed their mind. Got cold feet. They don’t want to deliver bad news. Sometimes, they have had a poor experience with recruiters in the past and assume ghosting is ‘the norm’.

However, it is also often true that the recruiter has set up the ‘ghosting dynamic’ by conducting a superficial interview, letting the candidate down a few times, failing to follow through on commitments, showing no genuine interest, and failing to build rapport.

Don’t worry, I get it. Sometimes, a recruiter does everything we hope for and still gets ghosted. That is sh*t

Clients ghost too. You’ve invested your time and energy, maybe even presented some stellar talent, only to be met with silence.

But often you reap what you sow.

Here’s the truth most recruiters don’t want to admit.

Ghosting is just a symptom.

For candidates, it often comes down to trust. For clients, it’s usually about shifting priorities, poor internal communication, or a lack of accountability in their hiring process. It’s hard to hear, but often clients ghost you because they do not take you seriously, or you lack credibility or gravitas.

Relationships built on absolute trust and consistent communication change the game. When candidates genuinely feel like you’re in their corner, they’re less likely to vanish.

When clients see you as a strategic partner, not just another recruiter, they’re more inclined to stay responsive. And when you’ve got the right systems and habits in place to stay close to your pipeline, you create more opportunities for the conversations that move things forward.

So, what do we do about ghosting?

First and foremost, ensure that you are not guilty of flawed or nonexistent communication.

Look at your own behaviours first.

Remember, to a candidate, no news is news.

Meet face to face when you can. Do in-depth interviews and set the guidelines for your relationship going forward. With clients, too, qualify the job order. Meet F2F where you can – but at least on VC

Keep showing up with empathy and professionalism, even when it’s not returned.

Interestingly, we can improve our processes with technology.

Yes, this issue is a perfect one to approach with the mantra that recruitment is a “Marriage of art and science” in mind

You can use follow-up technology to help reduce ghosting, but it should feel like a real person continuing a conversation.

If a candidate goes quiet, the system shouldn’t reset or repeat itself—it should remember where things left off and pick up naturally from there. That means no generic “just checking in” messages, but thoughtful, context-aware follow-ups that reflect the tone, timing and content of the last exchange.

When done right, this kind of technology doesn’t just reduce ghosting, it builds trust at scale.

What technology does this, you ask?

Well, there are several, but unlike many tools that simply blast out automated messages, Synaptico is designed to follow up like a human.

Candidates don’t want to be spammed; they want to feel like someone is paying attention. That’s where Synaptico stands out. If a candidate ghosts, the system doesn’t start from scratch. It picks up right where the last conversation left off, continuing the thread naturally, just like a person would. The result? More responses, less ghosting, and a better candidate experience from start to finish.

It’s a real-life example of AI augmenting the recruiter’s work, not replacing the recruiter.

I like the sound of that

Details on Synaptico here

Contact Carl Sagan for more details. Linkedin. Email Carl here

If you want to see how overcoming ghosting can be assisted by innovative technology, feel free to book a demo here 

Disclosure:  I get pitched several AI technology products a week. People often ask me what AI technology I recommend, and I have invested in three. I am a very minor investor in Synaptico. So it might be worth considering for evaluation. Other tech products I think are quality can be found here

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