The online equivalent to being physically stood up on a date, “ghosting” is one of the most annoying parts of dating today. As defined by Urban Dictionary, ghosting is when one person in a relationship cuts off all communication with the other with no warning or explanation. It’s not a new concept, people have been ignoring each other in person for centuries – now they can just do it over social media, too.
But what’s really surprising is that people have starting ghosting not only in relationships, but at work. This includes not going to interviews, stopping coming in to work, and even accepting job offers and never showing up on the first day. Yikes.
Apparently, this is all because the job market is so strong that workers have too many options to choose from. LinkedIn editor-in-chief Dan Roth said to “CBS This Morning,” “This job market is so hot right now. Unemployment is at a 18-year low. You’ve got more job openings than candidates, which is the first time the Labor Department has seen this… It’s a buyers’ market right now.”
Millennials brought ghosting to the workplace wow the 21st century is wild https://t.co/gKeJRr0HTY
— JRAY (@rayjessica_) July 19, 2018
There’s more job openings than there are than qualified, unemployed people to fill them, apparently — so job applicants are holding a lot of power.
Some are saying that ghosting is a way for applicants to “get back” at employers for what happened during the recession in 2007-2009. When employment was at 10 percent during these years, employers often ignored applicants or never got back to them. Now the tables have turned and employees are the ones doing the ghosting. And some people find it that not showing up is a just easier than officially canceling an interview, turning down a job offer, or just saying “no.”
I’m only 23, and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve gone to a job interview, sent a polite thank you note, followed up a couple of weeks later, and still never heard back from that employer.
Millennials didn’t bring ghosting to the workplace but go off I guess. https://t.co/POiS8Z87B9
— auriane desombre (@aurianedesombre) July 24, 2018
But if you’re thinking of hopping on the trend and ghosting on a job interview, be careful. You may think it’s not a big deal, but employers will remember you if you stand them up. Roth told CBS, “Recruiters and hirers are saying they will never forget the people who have ghosted them. And they will take that from job to job.”
So while ghosting a potential romantic partner might not have any consequences other than a few hurt feelings, ghosting on a job interview (or even your first day of work) is probably not the best idea.