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Phone with image saying don't be a stranger
Bridget AzocarSep 28, 20202 min read

Why You Shouldn't Ghost Your Recruiter

Whether you are in the market for a new position or happy where you’re at, when a recruiter reaches out to you, it sparks curiosity. You might be interested in hearing what they have to say, but not entirely sold on making the jump to a new job. So what do you do?

We can tell you what not to do, and that’s ghosting. Ghosting is known as disappearing from a conversation or interaction without explanation. In terms of recruiting, this can be not responding to a recruiter’s messages or emails, not answering phone calls or showing up to booked appointments, or booking an interview and failing to show up without communicating it. 

It’s important to respect your recruiter and their time. They are someone who will never ghost you, and that should be mutual. When you build a relationship with a recruiter, there is respect and trust that is built and needs to be maintained. Having a relationship with a recruiter is significant to your career because they are someone who you can go to for anything like analyzing the job market, finding you a new position, or even to see if you are being compensated enough for your current workload. 

That being said, you want to treat your recruiter the way you would treat your future employer. They are the bridge between you and your dream job. If you ghost them or an interview that they set up for you, it reflects poorly not only on you, but also on them. When you lose that trust by ghosting your recruiter, your relationship is immediately affected by that and your recruiter may think twice before referring you to what could be the perfect opportunity.

That’s a relationship that you want to protect and have in your back pocket. When you feel like it’s time to move on to your next role, it can be extremely time consuming to find the right fit. Finding a new full time job can be a full time job in itself, so let your recruiter do the work for you and allow them to help you get closer to your future dream job. 

But if you aren’t ready to take those steps, communication is key! If you aren’t interested in what a recruiter has to offer or you originally were and then decided a job you were looking at wasn’t going to be the best fit, then let your recruiter know. They are human too and understand that things happen. Whether it be that something came up in your life and you need to take a step back from the search or you simply aren’t interested, they will understand.

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