If you're ghosting employers or recruiters in your job search, you can cause long-term harm to your career. Even in the biggest cities, the employer grapevine tends to be pretty tight. Earn a bad reputation with one company, and chances are word will spread fast.

No One Likes Being Ghosted

According to 52% of job seekers, it's one of their biggest frustrations when looking for a new job. Employers are on the other side of the ghosting table now and are struggling because candidates don't always show up for interviews. Some even fail to show up for their first day of work or disappear soon after they start with no notice, often no communication at all.

Communication Is a Two-Way Street

Build trust with recruiters by following through on your promises, providing any documentation they request and maintaining an open line of communication. If you are highly responsive through the search, the hiring manager is more likely to do the same. Try to nail down the projected timeline for a decision or start date and when you can follow up. For example, if the recruiter says they will contact you either way on Friday, you can reply, "Okay, I'll make a note to follow up on Monday or Tuesday just in case." You're making it clear you will hold the recruiter accountable.

Economic Conditions Can Have an Effect

The job market changes quickly. When there is a shortage of jobs and many unemployed, it can be hard for employers to keep up with the volume of applications received. Candidates fall through the cracks at various stages throughout the hiring process. The opposite can occur when there are plenty of open jobs and not enough people to fill them. It's easy to become overconfident when you have more than one opportunity to choose from and believe the grass is greener elsewhere. That doesn't mean it's okay to leave an employer hanging while you drag your feet making a decision on accepting a position because you're not ready to commit.

Ghosting Has a Wide-Ranging Impact

If you don't care that you're letting employers hang, what about the effect on fellow job seekers? If you're a company's first choice to hire, they're not going to offer it to the number two candidate -- who might really want the job -- until they're sure you will not accept the offer. And if number two gets tired of waiting, they may move onto the next job on their list without having an honest shot at their top choice.

Keep Your Recruiter in the Loop

Even if it seems they have plenty of applicants and won't even miss you, that's seldom the case. If a recruiter is moving you through the hiring process, they have reason to think you are a good match for the job and are interested in the position. If you have doubts about the opportunity, share them with your recruiter and give them a chance to address them. If you decide you're really not interested, be honest. Don't just stop returning calls. You may feel you are letting them down or be afraid the conversation will become confrontational, but it will be over in a few minutes. You'll leave with your reputation, integrity, and self-respect intact.

Treat People With Respect

Open and honest communication and treating people as you'd like to be treated are important life and professional skills. These skills will prove valuable in your job search, in your daily interactions and when you're ready to move on. Who knows, you may be the one doing the hiring one day.

Ghosting and ghosting-related behaviors that bother employers most, include:

• Showing up late for interviews (or not showing up at all)
• Not replying to emails or phone calls
• Suddenly disappearing during the interview process
• Not letting them know you are considering (or have accepted) another job

A thank you note after the interview is not required but always appreciated and helps you stand out in the crowd.

Build Strong Relationships With a Recruiting Firm

Treating your recruiter, career, and everyone you encounter professionally with respect will serve you well in the long run and help you build lasting relationships. If you are ready to find your next job or can use a little advice on the hiring process, contact the experts at PrideStaff today!