It’s not you, it’s me. We just want different things…

Sound familiar? Well, perhaps in the dating world. However, wouldn’t you rather be told this than be…GHOSTED?

You may be thinking ‘where on earth is this going, isn’t this a recruitment blog?’ BUT unfortunately, this behaviour is not that uncommon in the recruitment world either, and with the majority of new relationships being built over Zoom, engagement levels can sometimes falter. Don’t get me wrong, zoom is a fantastic platform and has been a saviour for us all through COVID, but nothing will ever beat face-to-face interaction.

Now we hear ghosting horror stories from both candidates and clients (something Sprint will never, ever condone – we pride ourselves on our honest and frequent feedback), but today this piece focuses on the candidate side, and how you should respectfully ‘break up’ with a recruitment process.

While we don’t typically experience a lot of ghosting here at Sprint, on the rare occasion that we do, we usually find it is predominately junior to mid-level candidates who decide to vanish into thin air.

It’s totally ok to decide that a particular opportunity is actually not right for you, but it’s how you deal with it that speaks volumes of you as a person. If you approach it in a mature, professional and positive way, it is very likely that the recruiter/hiring team may come back to you with another role down the track. My advice? Don’t tarnish your personal brand because you’re afraid of having a conversation.

It’s always difficult when you let someone down and sometimes you may feel like just sticking your head in the sand, but businesses who are looking to hire want to make sure the person they employ is fully invested in the role. Someone who feels half-hearted about the position will only put in a half-hearted effort. It never ends well for either side.

It may be that something has changed with your personal circumstances, or a better opportunity has come along, or maybe you’ve done your research and you just don’t think the role is ‘your role’. Regardless of where you are in the in the recruitment process (first, second or third interview), if your circumstances change or you are no longer interested, you should always call (or at least email, but the phone is always better!) the person you have been working with to inform them that you are not attending the interview, or that you are withdrawing from the process. Trust me, it will go a long way.

It doesn’t have to be a long or daunting phone call, just something as simple as “Unfortunately I have decided this position is not right for me. I want to thank you for your time and your support to this point”.

At Sprint, we will never push you into something that isn’t right for you and will be grateful to you for not wasting anyone’s time. It shows a level of maturity and accountability and will enhance your personal brand, reflect well on you as a person and ensure you’re not blacklisted from any future opportunities!