More than a quarter (27%)* of UK employers who have attempted to fill vacancies in the last 12 months have had new starters fail to turn up on their first day at work, commonly referred to as being ‘ghosted’, according to new research from the CIPD and Omni RMS. The findings from the latest Resourcing and talent planning report also show that 41%* of employers who recruited candidates in the past year have experienced new employees resigning within the first 12 weeks of work.
In response, the CIPD and Omni RMS are calling on employers to keep candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process, to ensure they’re committed to the role and have realistic expectations. The report also highlights the importance of investing in effective onboarding for employees, to give clarity and support to new recruits as they adapt to the organisation and their new roles.
This latest research comes in the wider context of a competitive labour market, where many employers report that it has been more difficult to recruit and retain talent over the past year. According to the survey of over 1000 UK HR or people professionals:
- 64% of those who attempted to recruit over the past year experienced difficulties attracting candidates, with 69% of all employers agreeing that competition for well-qualified talent** has increased over the past year.
- Over half (56%) said that it has been more difficult to retain talent over the last year, rising to 71% in the public sector. More organisations are taking steps to address retention challenges, rising from 29% in 2021 to 42% in 2024.
- Employers have also been looking at ways to attract candidates. Increasing flexible working opportunities (35%) and ensuring a competitive pay and benefits package (34%) were the most common actions taken to improve employer brand in the last year. Public sector organisations were more focused on promoting their values (41%) than pay (16%).
Claire McCartney, policy and practice manager at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
“Competition for candidates remains fierce, particularly for senior and highly skilled roles. Recruitment and retention strategies should be a key focus for organisations if they want to appeal and hold on to employees in a competitive labour market.
“Engaging and retaining employees begins before new starters even walk through the door. During the recruitment process, employers should keep communication open with candidates, being clear on the purpose and values of their organisation, as well as benefits such as flexible working. It’s important to make sure prospective employees are committed to the role and know what to expect when joining a new organisation.
“Supportive and informative inductions can also help new starters to connect with an organisation and perform at their best. By investing in effective onboarding, employers can improve overall retention and are more likely to reap long-term benefits.”
Louise Shaw, Managing Director at Omni RMS said:
“Ghosting is a huge concern for business continuity and growth. We’ve steadily seen an increase in this behaviour as poor experience or lack of communication post offer creates increased dropout. With such high demand for the best candidates, a growing number are being countered and have multiple job offers, before they’ve started in a new role.
“Ensuring candidates are kept engaged is more crucial than ever. With the effort and cost that goes into attracting, selecting and onboarding, this loss has detrimental financial and general operational implications. At Omni, for our client partners who don’t have the internal resources to manage this, we have invested in resources and tech dedicated solely to keeping candidates engaged during onboarding, reducing ghosting and dropouts by 30%.
“In the longer term, organisations need to be equipped to tackle the issues that are driving candidate ghosting head on, particularly when the economic climate picks up.”
