5 Ways to Avoid Candidate Ghosting in Healthcare

You finally found a nurse with the unique qualifications to work on your unit. You — and the nursing staff that depend on you — felt optimistic about getting the unit one step closer to being fully staffed. But just before the final interview, the candidate disappeared without warning.

This phenomenon, known as candidate ghosting, occurs when candidates suddenly stop responding to communications or fail to show up for interviews. If you’re dealing with short-staffing in healthcare, you know how soul-crushing ghosting can be. It means restarting the hiring process to find another candidate, as you ask yourself, “What went wrong?”

In this article, we discuss the reasons nurses ghost in the interview process and how you can avoid it happening to you. Incorporate these action items into your hiring strategy to get your unit adequately staffed.

Candidate Ghosting: Meaning and Prevalence

Candidate ghosting refers to when a candidate suddenly stops communicating with a recruiter during the hiring process. This most typically occurs after initial phone screens or interviews if a candidate’s no longer interested in a position.

This phenomenon is becoming increasingly common across the job market, with roughly 76% of recruiters stating that they’ve been ghosted by a candidate in one year alone. When it comes to the healthcare industry specifically, a 2023 survey by Hireology found that 45% of job seekers have admitted to ghosting during the interview process — which is a 16% increase from previous years.

Signs a Candidate Might Ghost You

While ghosting can often occur quite suddenly and be difficult to predict, employers can look out for common warning signs that a candidate is losing interest in a role. These signs include:

• Delays in communication: Candidates may take longer to answer emails or call recruiters back throughout the recruitment process.

• Lack of enthusiasm: During interviews, candidates may seem unprepared or disinterested in asking the recruiter questions.

• Frequent rescheduling: Candidates may try to slowly disengage from the hiring process by rescheduling interviews multiple times without valid reasons.

• Incomplete applications: Candidates may fail to submit or complete follow-up documents if they’re not serious about a role.

Why Nurses Ghost During the Interview Process

Nurses may ghost for a number of reasons, but failure to comply with standard professional etiquette during the interview process may be rooted in a fear of confrontation or guilt about declining an opportunity. Below are examples of reasons nurses may ghost during the hiring process.

Misleading Job Description

If a nursing job description doesn’t match reality, a nurse will quickly point out the discrepancies. Nurses need to get an in-person visual of a facility to fully appreciate the role, which can be tricky as 93% of employers state they plan to continue conducting virtual interviews in a post-pandemic world. If a nurse is met with surprises when visiting the unit, hiring managers can expect a sudden change of interest

Poor Communication

Candidates may drop out of the interview process when they perceive a lack of communication or feedback from the employer. If they haven’t received updates on their application or hiring process timeline, they’re more likely to lose interest or have doubts about their likelihood of being selected.

An Impersonal Process

Small details, like personalized emails and communications, help keep candidates engaged. If the hiring process makes a nurse feel disposable, they have a right to discontinue communications. Employers can avoid this by asking relevant interview questions that show they reviewed the candidate’s resume and took the time to get to know them.

Negative Interview Experience

If a candidate has an unpleasant interview experience, they may choose to ghost as a way to avoid further interactions with the organization. This can often stem from a desire to evade uncomfortable conversations.

Better Options

In a nursing shortage, nurses have plenty of employment options, from full-time positions to gig work with W2 benefits. A nurse may play the field and apply to multiple opportunities before deciding which route to go without formally declining the opportunity at a given facility.

How to Stop Candidate Ghosting in Nursing

Your healthcare organization is taking all the appropriate steps to improve staffing in individual nursing units. From creating nurse hiring campaigns to selecting fitting interview questions, you have what it takes to get qualified candidates in the door. So, how do you prevent candidate ghosting in the process? Check out these five action items to incorporate into your nurse hiring strategy, whether you’re an HR representative, recruiter, or nurse manager.

1. Maintain Transparent Communication

Healthcare professionals rely on closed-loop communication to effectively communicate patient information and maintain a culture of safety. They expect the same level of professional communication throughout the hiring process.

Healthcare employers can prioritize communication by providing updates throughout the process. Consider implementing communication tools, such as email automation, to keep nurses in the loop. For example, after a candidate submits an application, send them a “what to expect next” email to avoid employer ghosting. Then, send reminder emails about upcoming interviews that give candidates a chance to confirm their attendance or ask questions.

Communication goes both ways — so encourage candidates to express their concerns, doubts, or questions openly and provide a platform for them to do so. Listen to their feedback and address any issues promptly.

2. Be Respectful of the Candidate’s Time

Nurses work long and obscure hours, and finding time to interview can be a challenge. Hiring managers and recruiters should be mindful of candidates’ time and respect their working hours. For example, if a nurse works the night shift, avoid setting up interviews in the middle of the day.

Employers can also take steps to avoid unnecessary delays in communication, like sending check-in emails or phone calls. The longer a candidate waits for a response from the employer, the more time they have to contemplate other options.

3. Set Clear Expectations

A candidate should have a realistic expectation of the role prior to interviewing. The interview process is the time to elaborate on a nurse’s duties and clear up any questions about the job. Healthcare employers can prevent candidate ghosting by clearly outlining the expectations of the role, including responsibilities, working conditions, and compensation as early in the hiring process as possible.

If healthcare employers aren’t upfront about working conditions at their facility, nurses will figure them out quickly. Between online resources, social media, and in-person interviews, nurses can easily get a picture of the staffing ratios and conditions in your facility. Create clear expectations to ensure the candidates are well-informed and less likely to drop out of the process due to surprises.

4. Improve the Peer Interview Process

A key part of a nurse hiring process is the peer interview. While it’s usually just one part of the overall interview process, a peer interview can make a big impact on a candidate’s perception of the facility and unit. Staff nurses can help determine if a candidate’s work ethic, values, communication style, and skills align with the unit’s culture.

Prepare your nursing team to nail the peer interview by asking engaging questions and showing genuine interest in the candidate. A positive peer interview can enhance the candidate’s view of the facility and its work culture. It can also help candidates gain insights into the team dynamics and work environment. If morale is down on your unit, it will show during a peer interview, so take steps to prevent candidate ghosting by addressing underlying issues.

5. Learn From Past Experiences

Analyze past ghosting instances to identify recurring issues in your hiring process and adjust accordingly. How will you address and respond to candidate ghosting if you’re the recruiter? Prepare for worst-case scenarios by strategizing ways to handle candidates ghosting at each step of the process.

Your facility may want to keep a record of no-call-no-shows in the interview process. This can help avoid bringing these candidates back for future engagement. Having no-call-no-shows in nursing is a red flag that a nurse could potentially skip out on shifts at the last minute, leaving staffing in a pinch. Always have backup candidates in case your first choice doesn’t work out, as this can minimize the impact of ghosting on your hiring process.

Find Committed Candidates Today

Ready to put these tips into action? IntelyCare can help you avoid candidate ghosting by connecting you with the right applicants earlier in the hiring process. Post to our nationwide job board today and reach over 1 million nursing professionals who are actively seeking work.