Being ghosted in the jobs cemetery: Where ads go to die

Ahead of Halloween, HR Leader unpacks the increasing rates of candidate ghosting, disappearing ads, and other spooky employment trends/nightmares on both sides of the fence.

Further to recent data that show that both recruiters and candidates are going radio silent mid-hiring, Employment Hero’s managing director of talent solutions, David Holland, spoke with HR Leader to explore where these trends came from and what employers can do about them.

Employment Hero research revealed that 73 per cent of Australians have experienced a recruitment “horror story”, with the most common complaint from jobseekers being receiving little or no feedback after not securing a role, spending hours on an application and not receiving any updates, and being ghosted altogether.

Further, 51 per cent of employers have had a candidate drop out or go “missing” due to a slow hiring process, and 59 per cent feel they are being weighed down by administration.

In what has been termed “generation ghosted”, younger workers are both more likely to be ghosted during recruitment and to have applied for a fake role, or one that was never open for consideration.

According to Holland, the findings point to a recruitment process that is frustrating both sides.

“Candidates and employers are using AI to navigate legacy hiring systems, creating an arms race that adds to frustration rather than improving outcomes. With 75 per cent of Australians reporting at least one recruitment horror story, it’s time to rethink the process from the ground up,” he said.

Holland said the biggest deficiencies in the recruitment process are poor communication, admin-heavy hiring processes, and poor transparency when it comes to genuine vacancies – but these issues only compound existing problems.

“Businesses risk losing good candidates to faster-moving employers … delays and lack of clarity can mean missing out on the right person and having to restart the process,” he said.

In what may be a reversal of horror film tropes, technology may actually be part of the solution, with Holland adding that AI could bridge the gap between recruiters and candidates.

In practice, this looks like ensuring job listings are current, setting clear expectations around hiring timelines and closing the loop with every candidate. Further, he suggested that time saved on admin be used to hold meaningful conversations or offer timely feedback to candidates.

These small steps, he explained, “can make a big difference to candidate experience and help employers secure the right talent”.

And the signs are there, with 44 per cent of hiring managers already finding that AI is helping their organisations make better hiring decisions – but the results and confidence remain irregular, with Holland urging employers to find the balance between efficiency and judgement.

“Technology should never be the thing that decides who gets a chance. Used well, it takes the admin off hiring teams’ plates so they can do the human part properly: respond to every candidate, give real feedback and make the call. That’s how we lift the curse on recruitment for both sides,” he said.

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