Workplace ghosting happens for many reasons. Maybe the employee found another job opportunity, or they simply don’t connect well with your organization. Whatever their reasons, it’s difficult to manage operations when candidates suddenly disappear without notice.
This can be extremely disruptive, especially in warehouse and industrial settings where a single no-show can halt production lines or delay shipments. Here’s how to prevent ghosting in your industrial workforce.
Why Do Warehouse Workers Ghost Employers?
While workers rarely explain why they ghost, here are five common reasons industrial employees disappear:
1. Job mismatch and misaligned expectations.
Workers form perceptions about your company based on limited interactions, job descriptions, your website, and other materials. Unfortunately, this can create unrealistic or incorrect expectations. While this doesn’t necessarily make your company look bad, it may lead to disappointment.
Before committing to the job or even showing up for their first day, workers may simply leave and ghost you. As unprofessional as it seems, ghosting helps them avoid difficult conversations.
2. Finding better opportunities.
Perhaps the most common reason is that your candidate found a better job, often with higher pay. It’s no surprise that candidates apply to multiple positions simultaneously. Unfortunately, when they ghost, you’ll never know if your wage rates were competitive.
Pay isn’t the only factor. Other companies might offer a more positive work environment, advancement opportunities, or flexible shifts. Once a worker ghosts you, you’ll likely never learn their exact reason.
3. Poor communication.
Lack of timely updates frustrates candidates. Imagine waiting for a job opportunity only to deal with confusing or unresponsive recruiters. This significantly affects the job search experience, causing potential workers to lose interest.
If a candidate doesn’t hear from you promptly or doesn’t receive clear information about next steps, they might abandon the process regardless of what stage they’re in. The closer a candidate is to receiving a job offer, the less likely they are to ghost—but this doesn’t mean communication should be an afterthought.
4. Negative interview experiences.
Unpleasant interactions, red flags, or poor attitudes from hiring managers can cause candidates to stop communicating. The interview process is more than just evaluating a worker’s skills—it provides a glimpse of your company culture, daily operations, and management style. A negative experience can drive candidates away.
5. Discomfort in communicating decisions.
Beyond these reasons, workers increasingly avoid direct communication about their decisions. Ghosting isn’t new, but it has become more common in recent years. According to Indeed, 76 percent of employers have experienced ghosting, and 57 percent believe it’s a growing trend.¹ There’s even been an 18 percent increase in people admitting to ghosting from 2019 to 2021.
Social media and modern dating may contribute to this trend. With technology making it easier to connect (and disconnect), many people resort to ghosting potential dates due to mixed feelings, scheduling conflicts, or simply changing their minds. Unfortunately, this behavior now extends into professional relationships.
How Can Employers Prevent Ghosting in Warehouse Settings?
While employee ghosting is now a normal part of industrial recruiting, you can take steps to reduce it. Here are eight practical ways to keep warehouse candidates engaged:
1. Be transparent from the start.
Be honest about the role, work environment, expectations, compensation, and benefits. While this might make negotiations more challenging, it prevents misunderstandings later on. Here’s what to do:
- Provide detailed job descriptions that reflect actual daily responsibilities on the warehouse floor
- Discuss physical demands, shift schedules, temperature conditions, and other workplace realities
- Outline the entire hiring process so candidates know what to expect
- Share updates about any delays in the application process
Read more: Building Strong Relationships with New Hires: Effective Strategies for Onboarding and Retention
2. Communicate quickly and frequently.
Communication is crucial for preventing ghosting. Beyond transparency, you need to be consistent and responsive. Keep every candidate in the loop and clearly explain next steps. This helps manage expectations during waiting periods.
Even if you haven’t made a decision yet, follow up after every interview. Consider using automated messaging to keep candidates updated. Utilize multiple channels like text messages, email, or your ATS system:
- Send reminders before interviews or orientation
- Use positive wording like “stay in touch,” “contact us anytime,” or “what else would you like to know?”
- Follow up promptly when you need additional information
- Send consistent updates throughout the hiring process
3. Streamline your hiring process.
Imagine going through multiple interviews only to answer the same questions repeatedly, or filling out similar forms with identical information. These redundancies create a frustrating experience. Optimize your recruitment process to respect candidates’ time:
- Instead of scheduling a series of interviews, consider conducting a single panel interview
- Prepare streamlined questions and use consistent evaluation metrics
- Reduce paperwork by collecting information once and sharing it across departments
Read more: Selecting for Success: Streamlining the Preselection Process for High-Volume Industrial Roles
4. Build rapport with candidates.
The stronger your connection with candidates, the less likely they’ll ghost. When people feel connected to someone, they become more comfortable and less likely to damage the relationship.
Interview warehouse candidates using a conversational tone rather than an interrogative approach. Ask about their career goals and explore how they align with the position. Focus on job fit to make the experience more personal.
Train your hiring staff to be respectful, punctual, and professional. Give candidates opportunities to ask questions about the organization. This makes them feel welcomed and increases their engagement with your company.
Read more: How to Make the Most of Temp Workers—And Get Them to Stay
5. Offer competitive pay and benefits.
It goes without saying that compensation remains one of the main factors in successful warehouse hiring. To attract top industrial talent, offer competitive wages. Research industry benchmarks, local competitors, and current demand for warehouse roles.
If budget constraints limit what you can pay, highlight other benefits like training programs, advancement opportunities, attendance bonuses, flexible schedules, or transportation assistance.
6. Make it easy to say “no.”
If candidates truly want to work for you, they won’t disappear. Instead of making potential hires afraid to decline, make it easier for them to be honest. Let them know it’s perfectly fine to turn down your offer, and use this opportunity to ask for referrals to other potential candidates.
Throughout the interview process, check in about their preferences, experience, and expectations. Ask if they want to continue with the application or if they’re considering other opportunities. This shows you’re open to feedback and committed to improving your recruitment process.
7. Build a strong employer brand.
Candidates will research your company through your website, careers page, and social media. How you represent your organization significantly impacts their decisions, creating either positive or negative impressions.
Create a clean, informative careers page that’s easy to navigate. Ask current warehouse employees to share their experiences on your social media, giving potential hires a glimpse of daily life in your facility.
Maintain a positive work environment—today’s employees easily leave honest reviews on Glassdoor, Indeed, or LinkedIn. These reviews can either attract or repel potential candidates.
8. Follow up with candidates who ghost.
Even when candidates end communication, there are many reasons they might have stepped away from the application process. A friendly follow-up keeps the door open for future roles.
Keep your message professional and non-confrontational: “Hi [name], we noticed you missed your interview. If you’re still interested in the warehouse position, we’d love to reconnect.”
Reduce potential ghosts with Horizon America.
One of the main reasons warehouse workers abandon applications is miscommunication. At Horizon America, we help match employers with the right industrial employees, whether you need permanent, temporary, or temp-to-hire candidates.
We specialize in recruiting for the light industrial and manufacturing sector. If you want to build a strong and reliable warehouse workforce, contact us today to learn more about our services.
Reference
Threlkeld, Kristy. “Employer Ghosting: A Troubling Workplace Trend.” Indeed, 11 Feb. 2021, https://www.indeed.com/lead/impact-of-covid-19-on-job-seeker-employer-ghosting
