Ghosting Is Costly — For Both Employers and Candidates

HR team planning session. Photo by Freepik.

In recruitment, “ghosting” isn’t just unprofessional — it’s expensive. Whether it’s a candidate disappearing before an interview or an employer vanishing after a promising meeting, ghosting damages reputations, delays hiring, and costs real money.

In Singapore’s competitive talent market, where speed and professionalism make or break offers, both sides can’t afford the silent treatment.

What Ghosting Looks Like in 2025

• Candidate ghosting: Skipping interviews, ignoring offer calls, or no-showing on the first day.
• Employer ghosting: Not providing updates after interviews, leaving offers in limbo, or disappearing after promising feedback.

The True Cost for Employers

1. Wasted Time & Resources
   Recruitment costs in Singapore can reach 20–25% of annual salary per hire. A candidate who drops off late in the process means sunk costs in sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding prep.

2. Project Delays
   A role left vacant for even 1–3 months can slow team output, increase overtime costs, and cause burnout for existing staff.

3. Damaged Employer Brand
   News travels fast — especially on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and niche industry groups. Repeated ghosting of candidates can hurt your ability to attract quality talent in the future. 

The True Cost for Candidates

1. Burned Bridges
   Ghosting an employer can eliminate future opportunities with that company or their network of partners.

2. Reputation Risk
   In small, connected markets like Singapore, HR circles talk. Your name could be flagged informally across recruiters.

3. Lost Professional Growth
   The job you ghosted may have offered training, mentorship, or exposure you won’t easily replace.

Why Ghosting Happens in Singapore

• For candidates: Counteroffers, multiple offers, fear of confrontation, or losing interest in the role.
• For employers: Slow internal approvals, unclear hiring priorities, or sudden headcount freezes.

How to Prevent Ghosting

For Employers

1. Set Clear Timelines
   Let candidates know when to expect next steps — and stick to them

2. Maintain Engagement
   Send updates even if there’s no decision yet. A “We’re still considering” message is better than silence.

3. Screen Early
   Use pre-interview assessments to ensure only committed candidates progress.

For Candidates

1. Communicate Changes Promptly
   If you’ve accepted another offer or changed your mind, let the employer know immediately.

2. Respect Interview Slots
   Last-minute cancellations can be forgiven — disappearing cannot.

3. Think Long-Term
   Today’s hiring manager could be tomorrow’s business contact. Protect that relationship.

The Bottom Line
Ghosting wastes money, time, and goodwill. In 2025’s fast-moving Singapore job market, communication is currency — and silence is costly for both sides.

💡 Elitez Insight for Employers:

We help HR teams reduce ghosting risks with:

• Pre-qualified, engaged candidates from active talent pools.
• Clear candidate communication protocols.
• Temp-to-perm trial models that filter commitment before full hiring.

📩Need reliable, ghosting-resistant hires? Contact Elitez today to secure talent who will show up — and stay.