New starters have ‘ghosted’ more than a quarter of employers in the last year amid fierce competition for the best candidates.
A survey with 1,000 UK HR professionals conducted by the CIPD and Omni RMS found that around 27 percent of UK employers have had new recruits not turn up on their first day with no explanation.
This behaviour, commonly referred to as being ‘ghosted’, is causing huge concern for businesses.
Results of the research, outlined in the Resourcing and talent planning report, also found that 41 percent of employers who recruited candidates in the past year have seen new joiners resign in the first 12 weeks.
In response to this trend, the CIPD and Omni RMS advised employers to keep candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process to ensure they’re committed to the role and have realistic expectations.
Investing in effective onboarding for employees is another way to combat new starter no shows as it provides clarity and support to new hires as they prepare to join the organisation and start their new job.
Competitive jobs market
The rise of ‘ghosting’ is set against the backdrop of a competitive labour market. Many employers said it has been more difficult to recruit and retain talent in the past year.
Further survey results showed that 64 percent of employers looking to recruit in the past year had difficulty attracting candidates, with 69 percent of all employers agreeing that competition for well-qualified talent has increased over the past year.
More than half (56 percent) said that it has been more difficult to retain talent over the last year, with this figure rising to 71 percent in the public sector.
Retention challenges
In response to this more organisations said they had taken action to tackle retention, rising from 29 percent in 2021 to 42 percent in 2024.
Attention on how employers attract candidates has also increased. More than a third (35 percent) reported that they had increased flexible working opportunities and 34 percent said they made sure they offered a competitive pay and benefits package.
By contrast, public sector organisations focused on promoting their values (41 percent) rather than pay (16 percent).
Committed and connected
Claire McCartney, policy and practice manager at the CIPD, said: “Competition for candidates remains fierce, particularly for senior and highly skilled roles. Recruitment and retention strategies should be a key focus for organisations if they want to appeal and hold on to employees in a competitive labour market.
“Engaging and retaining employees begins before new starters even walk through the door.
“During the recruitment process, employers should keep communication open with candidates, being clear on the purpose and values of their organisation, as well as benefits such as flexible working. It’s important to make sure prospective employees are committed to the role and know what to expect when joining a new organisation.
“Supportive and informative inductions can also help new starters to connect with an organisation and perform at their best. By investing in effective onboarding, employers can improve overall retention and are more likely to reap long-term benefits.”
Multiple job offers
Louise Shaw, managing director at Omni RMS, said: “Ghosting is a huge concern for business continuity and growth. We’ve steadily seen an increase in this behaviour as poor experience or lack of communication post offer creates increased dropout.
“With such high demand for the best candidates, a growing number are being countered and have multiple job offers, before they’ve started in a new role.
“Ensuring candidates are kept engaged is more crucial than ever. With the effort and cost that goes into attracting, selecting and onboarding, this loss has detrimental financial and general operational implications. At Omni, for our client partners who don’t have the internal resources to manage this, we have invested in resources and tech dedicated solely to keeping candidates engaged during onboarding, reducing ghosting and dropouts by 30 percent.
“In the longer term, organisations need to be equipped to tackle the issues that are driving candidate ghosting head on, particularly when the economic climate picks up.”
