Ghosting has crept its way into business–and it’s not okay.
You’ve more than likely heard the term ‘ghosting’ as it refers to dating–I’ve been out of the dating game for well over a decade so I won’t pretend to know the specifics on that–but really, the term just means to abruptly cut off communication without explanation. So, what’s a married man like me sitting here complaining about ghosting? Unfortunately, ghosting has crept its way into my industry, and the business world as a whole.
Ghosts For Hire
Ghosts come in many shapes and sizes, the most haunted area of business being the realms of recruitment and hiring. Ghosting can happen to all parties involved in this process. Ever had a candidate not show for an interview without emailing or calling to explain? Ghosting. Ever had a great interview yourself only to not hear back from the company ever again? Ghosting. Ever got to the offer stage with a candidate only to end up avoiding them after learning there’s no longer the budget to hire. Ghosting. The fact is 50 percent of British workers have been ghosted while job hunting, according to a recent survey. While I don’t condone ghosting on any level, ghosts during job hunting are probably the least shocking or harmful (though there are still repercussions, but more on that later).
A Familiar Ghost
Next up, we have the ghosts by association. These are the ghosts that you are somewhat familiar with and have a higher expectation for. For example, a former boss, ex-colleague or someone you had a professional relationship with in the past. In other cases, you may be referred to a contact only to never hear back. This tanishes two reputations in the process.
Ghosts At Home
The scariest ghosts, in my opinion, are those within your own company; your current colleagues, clients, bosses that you interact with often or are required to work with on projects. This happens to be the ghosting I experience the most and the driving force for today’s article.
The Reality of Professional Ghosting
Over 90 percent of emails are replied to within a day of receiving the note, according to research published by the University of Southern California. That’s not saying anyone that does not respond within 24 hours or one business day is ghosting, but it is far more likely.
I understand, there are more communication options than ever before. Between texts, phone calls, emails, LinkedIn and Slack, you could argue that your own ghosting isn’t intentional…but I call bullsh*t. If technology is the way of the future, it is about time we learn the etiquette. For some, their entire professional life happens on screen, so arguing those people are dismissed of proper communication etiquette is truly a foul excuse.
If you were to be walking by a colleague in the hallway in a traditional office job and they asked you something about an upcoming project, would you not respond? Even if you were in a rush to get to a meeting or home, you’d most likely politely say that you were in a rush because of ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’ and let them know when and how you’d get back to them. Ask yourself, why does this same courtesy not occur via email? Via Slack? There still is a person behind that monitor, isn’t there?
Ghostbusting
I believe the trick to ghostbusting comes down to creating boundaries that support better communication. For example, you’re not a fan replying on LinkedIn? Setting an autoresponder redirecting those reaching out on this platform to instead send an email will help ensure your messages get to the right place and you have the best chance for an efficient response.
The same tactic can be used on your work email to let those reaching out when they can expect to hear back from you. Many resort to only using this email feature for vacations, but on a regular basis this can help set expectations and boundaries so you do not get bogged down by emails. I recently received a very honest autoresponse from a colleague that not only let me know they were on vacation, but that any emails sent during the time they were away may be missed so to reach back out on the day they were back in office to ensure a response. Essentially, this alleviated them from the pressure of “catching up” on emails that were missed and ensured no one was “ghosted” as they had a tangible explanation of why they weren’t hearing back. Along with autoresponders, you may want to consider using canned messages as part of your communication technique. While I would still suggest personalizing these messages, canned responses can cut down on time wasted for spam-like professional email or common questions likely posed.
Utilizing spam folders, unsubscribing to junk and using email time blocking are all ways you can be more efficient in your communication and therefore, make the effort to respond professionally to everyone. For example, time blocking 30 minutes first thing in the morning and again 30 minutes at the very end of the day for responding to emails helps ensure you do not get backlogged but also that you aren’t disrupting your work.
Setting professional boundaries in this honest way does two things: 1) Leads to your time and responses being respected. 2) Protects and future-proofs your professional reputation.
In today’s workforce, we are required to play the long game. Gone are the times of staying with a singular company for the entirety of your career. Even when you believe ghosting someone will do little to no damage to your reputation, follow-up and follow through anyways. You never know when you may encounter that person again in your career. Keep it professional and polite always.
I am not saying I’m on the same level as Peter Venkman, but I do consider myself a Ghostbuster–I will call it out when I see it. Instead of calling me to bring the proton pack, I encourage you to also call out the ghosts within your own organization.
Now, I would love to hear your opinion on professional ghosting. Have you been ghosted, done the ghosting or guilty of both? Join the conversation.