Trying to fill a marketing job? Watch out for ghosting

One of the biggest challenges to any business right now is finding the right people to fill our marketing jobs. And this pervasive trend of “ghosting” is not helping.

Ghosting is this trend (first coined about 20 years ago) of connections that disappear. A person cuts off all communications without explanation.

It’s becoming a common dating relationship strategy and unfortunately, the behavior is now plaguing the business world, too. Perhaps somebody interviews for a job — or even accepts a job — and then you never hear from them again. Measured against an expectation of traditional business civility, this is bizarre … but becoming prevalent.

For six months, I tried to hire a community manager. Three different people had conversations with me enthusiastically expressing interest in the job (and even accepting it). And then I never heard from them again.

I hired an intern who stopped showing up at work. When I finally reached him three weeks later, he said he had accepted another job in Nashville. That is probably the last intern I will ever hire.

Of course, it’s not just me. This is a national phenomenon and it is changing the nature of business. One friend recently told me, “I’ve given up trying to hire for diversity or even the top skills. I just…