Ah, ghosting. Once confined to the realm of dating apps and awkward social encounters, this modern-day phenomenon has somehow managed to infiltrate the sacred halls of the professional world. Yes, dear reader, we’re talking about job seekers who vanish without a trace, leaving only a cloud of confusion and an inbox full of unanswered emails in their wake.
Now, you might be wondering, what could possibly be hilarious about someone disappearing off the face of the Earth mid-recruitment process? Well, when done with the kind of flair and misguided brilliance that only job seekers possess, ghosting becomes less of a frustration and more of a comedy of errors.
So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy these tales of ghosting gone wrong. They’re a testament to the fact that even in the serious world of recruitment, sometimes all you can do is laugh.
The Great Vanishing Act
Picture this: you’ve found the perfect candidate. They’ve charmed you in the interview, aced every test, and agreed to start on Monday. But come Monday? Nothing. Not a call, not an email, not even a carrier pigeon. Just… silence.
One particularly memorable candidate had signed their contract, collected their laptop, and even discussed their favourite lunch spots with the team. But then, like a magician in a puff of smoke, they were gone.
After several days of radio silence, it was discovered that our Houdini had accepted another offer and decided the best course of action was to simply never return. Rumour has it they’re now living undercover in a small village, forever avoiding eye contact with anyone in a business suit.
The Mystery of the Ghosting Interviewee
Sometimes, ghosting happens before a job seeker even makes it to the starting line. Take, for instance, the candidate who confirmed their interview not once, not twice, but three times, each time with increasing enthusiasm.
On the day of the interview, the panel waited. And waited. And waited some more. After an hour, they decided to call it a day and head out for a well-earned coffee, only to bump into the very same candidate at the café down the street, blissfully unaware - or pretending to be - that they were meant to be elsewhere.
When asked if they were coming to the interview, they simply said, "Oh, was that today?"before calmly sipping their cappuccino as if they hadn’t just ghosted a potential employer.
The Ghost with the Most (Elaborate Excuses)
Then there's the classic case of the “ghost with the most” - the job seeker who doesn't just disappear, but leaves behind a trail of elaborate and increasingly bizarre excuses.
One candidate provided a string of reasons for their absence that included being abducted by aliens, rescuing a cat stuck in a tree, and once, memorably, being temporarily blinded by an unexpected solar eclipse.
It was a dazzling display of creative writing, to the point where the hiring manager almost wanted to hire them for their sheer inventiveness alone. Almost.
The Ghost Who Didn’t Realise They’d Ghosted
And then, of course, there are the wonderfully oblivious ones. The candidates who, after weeks of silence, pop back up with a cheerful email asking, "So, when do I start?"
One such candidate had been silent for a good month, only to reappear as if nothing had happened, detailing their eagerness to join the team and asking if they should bring anything on their first day—like snacks or a sense of humour about their inexplicable vanishing act.
Needless to say, the recruitment team was left slack-jawed, unsure whether to laugh, cry, or start drafting a screenplay about the whole saga.
Need a Recruitment Team That Won’t Ghost You?
If you’re tired of dealing with ghostly candidates who disappear like a mist in the morning sun, it might be time to call in the experts.
At Coburg Banks, we ensure that the candidates we find actually show up - not just for the interview, but for the job itself. We promise no ghosts, no phantoms, and definitely no vanishing acts.
So, if you need reliable recruitment that won’t leave you in the lurch, get in touch. We’ll ensure your hiring process is more ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost’ and less ‘Paranormal Activity’.
