For years, hiring new employees involved a lot of “ghosting.” That is, recruiters and hiring managers would interview candidates — sometimes multiple times — and then never get back to them. No mention of “Thanks so much, but we’ve decided to go another direction” or “We’ve decided not to fill the position.” Just radio silence.
Now, the tables have turned. Job candidates stop returning recruiters’ phone calls or simply don’t show up for their first day, never to be heard from again. And it’s not just limited to prospective employees — even long-term staff have started to snub the traditional two weeks’ notice, instead marking their resignation by simply failing to show up for work.
It’s not hard to find examples of this happening, and businesses are upset about it. The Washington Post chimed in with its own stories, including one from an employee who got laid off without notice and realized that if her company could fire her without notice, then she could quit without notice.
To keep reading, click here: How to Use Employee Benefits to Avoid Getting Stood Up by Your Employees
Ghosting is wrong, no matter who’s doing it. But, I appreciate the advice regarding 2-week notices. I’ve always given employers at least that amount of notice. However, I would not feel compunction to do so if my employer was one of those who immediately have Security escort employees off the premises as soon as they give notice (often without even allowing those employees the courtesy of being able to gather up their purely personal items).
It’s “at will”, not wrong. EHRL is right that if employers say, “Hand me your badge — you’re out of here,” then they’ve just ensured that the next employee won’t give notice at all. That’s exactly what I did. My coworker and I were searching for greener pastures. He found one, told me about it, and I interviewed just a few days after he did. We both got offers, him first.
My coworker tendered his resignation first. It was one week before the end of one contract, and start of the next for the current client. So our boss said, hey, I’m not gonna submit your resume, drug screen, etc. for the new contract (all workers had to be preapproved by the client) for just one week… You’re outta here now!
Fortunately, our new employer just started my soon-to-be-again coworker immediately.
I told my new employer I would start on Monday (of the old employer’s new contract)… And gave notice the Friday before I started. My soon-to-be ex-boss was aghast. “Why??” he wailed. I had to explain it!
I’m still guilt-free!
It’s “do unto others,” isn’t it? If employers treat workers with disrespect and suspicion, they should expect to be treated the same way. Sometimes employers have to lay people off, but they can do it kindly or coldly. Those who chose coldly, the ones who tell their workers “people like you are a dime a dozen” or “you’re lucky you have a job” are getting their just desserts when people ghost them. They can demonstrate a change of heart with an offer of good benefits but the attitude change has to come first.
Re opportunities for development: yes yes yes. And I would add–don’t pigeonhole employees who may want to make a transition but stay with the company. Look to your employees first when you need to fill a position.
It’s harder for small businesses, since they don’t often have a lot of options for people who want to move up or change their career focus. But a larger company shouldn’t be discouraging admins, for example, from moving to project management or something. If they want to do something else, and they can’t do it with you, they will have to leave.
And don’t skimp out on training new employees! Stop looking for a unicorn when you hire–MAKE one!
It is hard for me to wrap my head around this happening at professional level jobs. Do people not value references any longer? I can see a 16 year old kid not showing up for his shift at McD’s – and not putting McD’s on his job applications in the future. But a grown up, with a resume, and a work history – is this really something that happens? If you really think that “name, title, and dates of employment” are the only things that your prospective company’s HR department will find out from your old company – you are naïve. That may be all Joan tells Ted on the phone, or puts on the employment verification document that gets emailed back and forth. Later on, at Bunco at Joan’s sister’s house, Joan will tell Ted all about how you were a terrible employee who just stopped coming in to work without any notice.
I don’t give a fig about my company’s references; if they provide anything other than dates of employment, it reflects on their own lack of ethics in following their own rules.
I always have a broad range of former coworkers and managers as references. There’s enough turnover that it’s not difficult to find both types who no longer work for the same company but are glad to vouch for me.
Don’t people care about references any longer?
You get what you reap. If the company doesn’t appreciate the worker, today’s young workers just up and leave, even if you give them benefits. Whoever does the initial hiring interview needs to get the underlying reasons that the potential candidate wants this job. Job seekers today, especially Gen Z (no offense) expect good pay first for just showing up for work and have very vague preconceived ideas on what they should be doing at the job within a given time set in their mind (nothing to do with the reality of the job). And they see nothing wrong with just not reporting to work if they “feel slighted” in a performance review. As for employers demanding that you leave immediately after giving notice, that atmosphere/attitude can be already known by the employee, hence the notice to quit.
I don’t give a fig about my company’s references; if they provide anything other than dates of employment, it reflects on their own lack of ethics in following their own rules.
I always have a broad range of former coworkers and managers as references. There’s enough turnover that it’s not difficult to find both types who no longer work for the same company but are glad to vouch for me.