How to Avoid Getting Ghosted at Interviews

In today’s market, it seems that just about every restaurant is hiring. Job candidates have their choice of any number of open positions – and the most qualified applicants get snapped up fast. 

When they land a job, candidates often don’t contact the other companies where they have applied. Why? Sometimes they’ve lost track of where they have applied. Sometimes they feel awkward having difficult conversations. 

 As a result, instead of overseeing customer service or reviewing sales, many managers lose time preparing for interviews and waiting for candidates who never arrive.

In fact, three out of five restaurant hiring managers say their biggest challenge is no-shows at interviews. Here’s what you can do…

Consider Candidates Carefully

One of the best ways to avoid getting ghosted is to be proactive in the initial stages – perusing candidate applications carefully and weeding out those with red flags that might signal less-than-serious objectives. 

Asking candidates to answer a few questions will let you see who is willing to invest time into the application process. Some companies now offer applicants the option of submitting a brief video online instead.  

The best screening questions provide a glimpse into an applicant’s attitude and can help reveal how interested a person is in the position. By ruling out people who just seem to be applying to every job or those who seem unclear about what the job actually entails, you avoid potential no-shows down the road.

While screening candidates takes time, hiring software makes it easier.

 Interview (and Hire) Fast

Often, a candidate doesn’t show up to one interview because they’ve already scored a job somewhere else. One of the best ways to prevent ghosting is simply to move quickly. 

If someone stops by to fill out an application in person, ask if they’d be open to a conversation with the hiring manager right then and there. If using a digital job application platform, consider offering interviews via video calls. The applicant might not be able to arrange to come in for a few days, but he or she could potentially interview virtually much sooner. 

After the interview phase is complete, move quickly on hiring too. According to a recent survey by Landed, 45 percent of blue-collar workers are more likely to accept a job when they receive an offer on the spot at an interview. 

If you’ve done all the work to source, vet, and interview candidates, you want to be able to close the deal and add new employees to your restaurant. Make the next step quickly.

Send Text Reminders

Life is busy. Applicants are often juggling other jobs, families, and school. Sometimes when they don’t show up for an interview, they’ve simply forgotten. 

One way to prevent this is to send text (SMS) reminders. Younger workers tend to prefer the convenience of communication via text over phone calls or email. Strive to craft texts with a friendly tone to help establish a sense of rapport with candidates. Then, save copies as templates that can be used later with other applicants. 

Even better, consider using software to send text auto-reminders. 

Reduce No-Shows 

Getting candidates to show up for interviews involves reviewing applications carefully, making decisions quickly, and communicating reminders over text. Using hiring software can simplify the process, saving you time and stress – and helping you fill more open positions at your restaurant.