It's a practice usually reserved for the playground of online dating. Now, it's being used on prospective employers.
"Ghosting" – maybe you've heard of it, or maybe you haven't. But recruiters and those who are hiring are finding out what it is the hard way.
Liz Blondy has roughly 80 employees covering her various K-9 to 5 pet care locations and says she's fallen victim to a trend of ghosting.
"So ghosting is when an employee just doesn't show up for their first day," Blondy said. "And it's strange because it’s like where did they go?"
Experts say part of the reason for the sudden disappearing act is actually good news, which is a stronger economy.
"There’s more jobs for people so they have more options, they have more choices," she said.
However, the toll the trend takes on those who get ghosted is more than just the equivalent of an emotional rollercoaster.
"A lot of these candidates we get really excited about, so to have them not show up can be disappointing and also expensive," Blondy said. "We start with the group interview, we have them come back to do a work assessment. the HR person spends time creating a schedule, the onboarding…we’ve already spent a couple of hundred dollars before they even walk in the door their first day."
