Haunted by Silence

Sadly, ghosting doesn’t just take place on Halloween!

Ghosting which, in context, is the practice of completely ignoring or suddenly cutting off communication to a jobseeker, without explanation, does affect all ages of worker. However, the ghosting of older workers by recruiters and hiring managers is an increasingly prevalent and troubling issue, and it seems to disproportionately affect midcareer workers for several reasons tied to both ageism and digital hiring practices.

According to the University of South Australia, reporting on a UK based survey, 45% of candidates have been ghosted by a potential employer, and underrepresented groups are 62% more likely to be ghosted.

Many hiring managers harbour a bias against older workers, seeing them as less adaptable, less technologically savvy, or too expensive to hire. This bias may lead recruiters to initially engage with older candidates only later to ghost them once they decide the candidate hasn’t been able to overcome these stereotypical expectations.

In addition, midcareer workers might be seen as less compatible with the youthful culture that some companies are keen to foster, not least in the creative industries. This perception often results in older candidates being deprioritised without receiving feedback or a formal rejection, hence this quote from an anonymous 50-year-old respondent to The Experience Advocacy Taskforce’s (EAT) The Silent Exit survey;

‘I applied for over 200 jobs. How many interviews do you think I got? Zero.’

Hiring managers often assume that older candidates will expect higher salaries due to their extensive experience. Instead of addressing this concern or negotiating, some recruiters may ghost older workers, choosing to focus on younger candidates whom they assume will accept lower compensation. And it’s often this practice of assumption that makes it more difficult for midcareer workers to address stereotypes. Rather than asking the jobseeker questions during screening or at interview, assumptions are made that match these prejudicial and stereotyped views of people aged over 50, leading to applicants being rejected out of hand and pre-interview.

And these assumptions are often baked into applicant tracking systems (ATS). Many recruiters and hiring managers use automated tools to filter resumes, and these systems can be biased against older workers. Midcareer candidates may not hear back simply because their resumes are screened out based on age-related factors, such as number of years of experience, outdated job titles or even the use of an older email suffix.

Ghosting in these cases may not be intentional, but it’s often a consequence of impersonal, automated systems which, by their very nature, cannot include human factors in their algorithms. Take the example from EAT’s survey which found that despite leaving senior roles, 1 in 4 respondents were still seeking work in the creative industry and that around 50% were open to various alternate types of employment, for example, full-time, part-time or freelance. 70% also said they would consider taking positions below their previous level, reflecting their continued passion for the industry, the desire to contribute, but also the real need to earn an income, all factors which an ATS would struggle to recognise.

In fairness to the recruitment industry and hiring managers in general, they are often overwhelmed by the volume of applications they receive. In a busy recruiting environment, recruiters are often juggling many roles at once. Midcareer applicants can be deprioritised if recruiters believe younger candidates are more likely to be a better fit for the role, and rather than take the time to follow up with all candidates, some may choose to ghost older applicants due to time constraints. Recruiters also sometimes focus on specific profiles that fit preconceived ideas of the ‘ideal candidate’, which are often driven by direction from a line manager. Midcareer workers may not quite match this profile, leading hiring managers to disengage from communication without providing closure.

Ghosting can have a significant impact on midcareer candidates and can lead to feelings of rejection, frustration, and confusion and having invested significant time and effort into an application, being ignored can be disheartening and erode a person’s confidence in their job search. And given that people aged over 50 can take up to 35% longer to find a new role than younger demographics, this impact can be significant and reinforce the sense that midcareer workers are being systematically excluded from the job market.

Employers in general, ultimately lose out when qualified, experienced midcareer workers are sidelined. The knowledge and expertise these workers bring can be an asset to an organisation, but when they are ghosted, organisations miss the chance to benefit from their contributions.

The ghosting of midcareer workers by recruiters and hiring managers is a common problem rooted in ageism, stereotypes, and hiring practices that favour younger candidates. The practice leaves older workers feeling frustrated and sidelined, further exacerbating the challenges they face in an already ageist job market. To combat this, recruiters and employers need to recognise the value of older workers, offer transparency in the hiring process, and provide feedback to all candidates, regardless of age, to ensure a more inclusive and fair recruitment experience.

To help reduce both age bias and the practice of ghosting, employers could consider:

• Rewriting job descriptions

Avoiding terms like ‘young,’ ‘digital native,’ or ‘energetic,’ which imply a preference for younger candidates. Instead, focussing on the skills and competencies necessary for the role.

• Evaluating hiring criteria

Assessing whether criteria, such as requiring recent graduates for all roles, are necessary or inadvertently screening out older candidates.

• Creating diverse hiring panels

Ensuring that interview panels include individuals of varying ages and backgrounds to mitigate age-related biases from a single viewpoint.

• Providing anti-bias education and training

Educating hiring managers on the benefits of an age-diverse team and training them to recognise and reduce age-based bias. This includes understanding common misconceptions and recognising the value of diverse experiences.

• Monitoring and measuring age diversity in hiring

Tracking age demographics within the hiring process to ensure diverse representation and address any patterns of bias. They may also consider implementing mentorship or reverse mentorship programs to leverage intergenerational knowledge exchange.