Ghosting in the Workplace
A mixed-methods look at why job seekers disappear on potential employers.
Guiding Questions: What is driving the growing trend of ghosting in the workplace?
Shortly after joining Indeed, I began conducting exploratory research to identify emerging trends in the talent and HR space. I noticed growing attention to "ghosting," when job seekers disappear without notice at any stage during the hiring process. I pitched this as a potential research topic, culminating in thought leadership content for Indeed's blog.
For this project, I:
- Partnered with the internal market research team to craft two surveys, one for employers and another for job seekers, to gather quantitative data on the prevalence, root causes, and challenges of ghosting;
- Gathered qualitative research from job seekers using the market research team's internal platform, where we posted open-ended questions about their experiences as ghosters;
- Analyzed quantitative and qualitative findings to identify key learnings and craft a narrative strategy; and
- Wrote up project findings in a three-part series of articles.
Once published, I worked closely with PR and internal communications to promote the series. I also conducted a follow-up study in 2020, to gain comparative data and learn how the pandemic impacted job seeker ghosting. For additional details on the project and my findings, please refer to the original ghosting report and 2021 follow-up piece.
My ghosting research and content have been featured by multiple media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, Business Insider, and more.