In a concerning new trend hitting the UK, workers admit they have ‘ghosted’ an employer by simply failing to show up to work, instead of handing in their formal notice.
Making its way into the list of the best words of 2015, ‘ghosting’ is often used in reference to a romantic relationship and refers to being dumped through a sudden cut-off of all communication. No longer just a trend limited to the dating world, surprising research suggests that of the UK’s 31.2 million working professionals, over 2.8 million have ghosted their employer.
The news comes from the UK’s largest job site, CV-Library, which conducted a survey amongst over 3,000 of Britain’s workers to gain a better understanding of ghosting in the workplace. The findings revealed that 8.9 percent workers have ghosted their employer, citing the top reasons as being mistreated by management, finding better job prospects with immediate start-dates, constantly facing unrealistic workloads and lack of flexibility in work schedules.
When trying to uncover the source of the ghosting trend in the working world, it appears to be most prolific during the recruitment process, with over half of UK workers having been ghosted by an employer during the interview process. Yet only 14 percent of professionals admit that they have ghosted a recruiter, showing recruiters and employers are most guilty of ceasing communication. The data suggest that workers feel they’re the ones who have been ghosted in the past, so they’re not afraid to turn the tables.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments:
Now that the ‘ghosting’ trend has made its way into the workplace, it’s critical that businesses correct this behaviour. If a candidate is constantly ignored by employers, a signal is being sent to workers that the behaviour is acceptable. Businesses ought to be extremely cautious moving forward; the job market is flourishing which means there are plenty of opportunities available for workers to jump ship if they want to. It’s clear that two-way communication is more important now than ever before, as many of the reasons behind a worker ghosting their job are issues that could be resolved through support from management.”
CV-Library reported a 15.8 percent job growth in January 2016 when compared with January 2015, further confirming that there are plenty of jobs available to workers looking for their next opportunity.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
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