Ghosting Works Both Ways

We talk a lot about candidates ghosting employers.

A candidate accepts another offer. Receives a counteroffer. Changes their mind. And suddenly—silence.

No returned calls. No email. No explanation.

It is frustrating, unprofessional and, frankly, unacceptable.

But there is another side to ghosting that our industry has somehow learned to accept.

What happens when the company disappears?

A candidate invests hours preparing for interviews. They research the company, its leadership, its products, its competitors and its culture. They rearrange their workday. They prepare presentations and portfolios. They may go through three, four or five rounds of interviews, sometimes meeting an entire leadership team.

And then?

Nothing.

No decision. No update. Sometimes not even a simple thank-you.

We explain it away.

The company is busy.

The search changed.

The hiring manager hasn't decided.T

he position was put on hold.

All of those things may be true.

But none of them makes silence professional.

If we expect candidates to have the courtesy to tell us when they have accepted another position, received a raise or simply decided the opportunity is no longer right for them, shouldn't companies extend exactly the same courtesy?

It takes less than a minute to say:

"Thank you for the time and thought you invested in meeting with us. We have decided not to move forward, but we genuinely appreciate your interest."

For the company, it may be one email.

For the candidate, it can mean closure after weeks of emotional and professional investment.

And at the executive level, the stakes are even higher.

Candidates are often not actively looking for a job. They have been approached. They have been persuaded to consider making a significant change in their career—and sometimes their life.

Once they agree to enter that conversation, we owe them respect for the time and trust they have given us.

There is also something to be said for having a trusted search partner in the middle.

A good recruiter does more than make an introduction. We stay in the conversation when conversations become difficult. We ask for the answer when there isn't one yet. We make sure candidates know where they stand, and we make sure companies aren't left wondering why someone has suddenly gone quiet.

Sometimes our job is simply to keep both sides talking.

That may not be the most visible part of executive search, but it is one of the most important. Because protecting a relationship—and often a reputation—can matter long after a particular search is over.

Executive search is ultimately a relationship business.

People remember how they were treated—not only when they got the job, but especially when they didn't.

Ghosting is ghosting, whichever side of the interview table it comes from.

Professional courtesy should work both ways.