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employee ghosting

What does employee ghosting mean?

When a candidate or new hire abruptly cuts off all contact with an employer, such as skipping interviews, not showing up on the start date, or leaving without notice.

"Their star recruit pulled employee ghosting, never showing up on day one and never replying again."

Origin

Extension of dating-slang 'ghosting' to the hiring and employment context in the late 2010s.

Frequently asked questions

What is employee ghosting?
It is when a candidate or new hire abruptly cuts off all contact with an employer, such as skipping interviews, not showing up on the start date, or leaving without notice.
Where does the term employee ghosting come from?
It extends the dating-slang term 'ghosting' to the hiring and employment context, spreading in the late 2010s.
Is employee ghosting the same as an employer ghosting a candidate?
The phrase usually refers to the worker vanishing, but employers ghosting applicants after interviews is a related, common complaint.
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Slang definitions: FreeDict original editorial.