Preventing career catfishing in your talent pipeline

Given the cost of hiring someone in Australia now sits around $23,000, career catfishing is a scenario best avoided, writes Amy Cappellanti-Wolf.

Three decades after online dating first became a thing, most of us have come across the term catfishing – the practice of creating a fake identity or fictional online persona in order to trick someone into thinking they’re in a relationship with you.

It’s surprisingly prevalent and can be disconcerting and distressing for victims when they eventually realise that they’ve been reeled in by someone whose interest in them is far from genuine.

“Career catfishing” is, pardon the pun, a similar kettle of fish. It occurs when a candidate is offered and accepts a job, only to become uncontactable on, or shortly before, their agreed start date.

Where’d you go?

It’s more common than you might think, especially among younger workers. One UK study found that 34 per cent of Gen Z employees admitted to ghosting after accepting a role.

Why? It could be that another offer came along. Or maybe they had second thoughts after learning more about the company. In some cases, disappearing might feel like the only way to escape a drawn-out hiring process filled with interviews, tests, and unpaid tasks.

Whatever the reason, if someone ghosts your business before day one, the result is the same: lost time, wasted effort, and an open role you’re suddenly scrambling to fill… again.

Right back where you started

Regardless of their motivation, the upshot is the same. Your organisation is back to square one, expending time and resources to fill a role that may end up being vacant for much longer than you’d hoped.

Given the cost of hiring someone in Australia now sits around $23,000, career catfishing is a scenario best avoided.

So, what are some things your organisation can do to reduce the risk of being left dangling by catfishers who won’t end up joining your ranks?

Connecting with candidates who are keen to commit

Advertising real roles that are genuinely up for grabs, for starters. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of employers out there running fishing campaigns of their own, inviting candidates to apply for phantom positions, and then ghosting them when they do.

It’s a practice that generates resentment, erodes trust, and can result in candidates responding in kind when they’re offered roles they’re not 100 per cent sure they want to commit to.

While it’s impossible to influence or control what other organisations do, your organisation can choose to be better. Treat applicants and their time with respect, and it’s likely they’ll be more inclined to return the favour.

Making up your mind and making it official

Meanwhile, speeding up the hiring process can reduce the frustration many candidates experience when they’re looking for a new role.

Deploying automated recruitment technology to generate job descriptions, identify and screen candidates, schedule interviews, conduct background checks, and verify references can help organisations get to the shortlist stage significantly faster, on average, than if manual methods are employed.

Minimising the amount of time applicants spend in limbo reduces the likelihood they’ll pursue other opportunities – and quietly accept other offers – while they wait for you to go through the motions.

Onboarding earlier

Commencing the onboarding process as soon as you’ve given a successful candidate the good news is also a critical best practice.

Whether it’s reaching out with paperwork for them to complete in advance or providing an agenda for their first day, staying in touch in the days and weeks before they start will increase their sense of engagement, connection, and excitement about what lies ahead.

Choose the right HR technology platform to integrate these intentional touchpoints for a thoughtful and consistent onboarding experience.

Setting your business up to make better hires, more often

Investing in automated human resources software helps businesses like yours fill vacant roles faster and get relationships with new hires off to a flying start. Fostering a strong team is vital for any business in today’s competitive landscape. Embracing technology can offer significant value and help optimise the talent acquisition and onboarding process.

Amy Cappellanti-Wolf is the chief people officer at Dayforce.