Are Recruiters at Fault for Ghosting Our Job Applications?

Responding to every candidate unrealistic given overwhelming volume, says one recruiter

- Megan Wee

You are not alone if you have been ghosted by recruiters again and again during your job hunt.

That frustrating silent treatment—where recruiters never get back—is something job seekers know all too well.

User experience designer Mr Ng, who prefers to be known by his last name only, has applied for more than 130 jobs in the past six months and heard back from only a handful of recruiters.

His hopes were raised when these friendly recruiters asked about his work experience and salary expectations in the first few calls, sounding like they had found a "lobang" (good deal) for him. But none has come back to close the loop.

"It felt like I wasn't good enough to get a reply or an update from them," the 29-year-old said.

A LinkedIn poll conducted by recruitment agency Robert Walters Singapore saw 88 per cent of its respondents saying that they are often ignored or ghosted.

More than 300 people took part in the poll from May to June.

Dr Chong Sinhui, an assistant professor in management at Nanyang Technological University, said that the candidate ghosting phenomenon has become more pronounced given the exponential increase in the volume of job applications enabled by digitised submission systems.

The sheer volume makes it very difficult for both candidates and recruiters to maintain customised or personalised communication, she said.