More than half of jobseekers say being ghosted by recruiters is the worst part of their work search.

A recent survey by Pertemps Network Group, one of the UK’s largest recruitment firms, showed 51 per cent singled out when communication is suddenly dropped over a role with no explanation, as their top recruitment gripe.

Other key concerns include long hiring processes (20%), limited feedback after interviews (18%), and job ads not matching the roles (11%), when candidates were asked about their biggest frustrations when looking for a new job.

One anonymous respondent said: "As a jobseeker, being ghosted is frustrating because I don’t know what I would need to do to learn for future applications.

“I would rather have feedback to learn from than wondering why I wasn’t successful, especially if it’s a role I have all the required skills needed."

Ghosting has long been acknowledged as an issue in recruitment – on both side of the fence, with some candidates “disappearing” after being lined up for interviews.

But, with the advent of newer technology, keeping in touch with candidates should be easier now than ever before.

Pertemps Director Cat Brown said: “We urge employers to reconsider their communication practices and provide timely feedback to candidates.

“It’s crucial that positive engagement is maintained from the candidate’s first interaction and throughout the recruitment process.  Strong communication with regular touchpoints and timely feedback creates better engagement and leaves candidates with a positive impression of the company, irrespective of the outcome of the application. 

“This is important for all companies, but particularly so for consumer-led organisations where the candidate may also be a potential customer.”