The ROI of Ghosting: What It Costs Job Seekers

By: Dr. Lisa Marie Lee

Image generated with DALL-E

Picture this: You’ve poured 16 years of your life into a job, only to be laid off. You take a deep breath, refuse to stress, and dive into the job hunt. Hours spent researching the company, perfecting your resume, and nailing not one, not two, but three unnecessary interviews—and then… nothing. Days turn into weeks, and that email you were counting on? It never shows up.

This scenario is all too familiar for job seekers today. According to Greenhouse’s 2024 State of Job Hunting report, 61% of candidates have been ghosted after interviews, reflecting a 9 percentage point increase since April 2024. Ghosting—the abrupt cut-off of communication by employers—has become a troubling norm, leaving candidates frustrated and questioning their worth.

Why Ghosting Hits Black Candidates Differently

Ghosting doesn’t affect everyone the same way. For Black job seekers, the silence cuts a little deeper—and the stakes are higher:

- Trust in Institutions: Racial discrimination, both past and present, has fostered skepticism toward corporate institutions. Ghosting reinforces feelings of exclusion and mistrust. According to Greenhouse’s survey, 66% of historically underrepresented job seekers, including Black candidates, experience post-interview ghosting compared to 59% for white candidates.

- Lack of Professional Networks: Black professionals remain underrepresented in many industries, limiting access to insider connections that can smooth the job search or provide second chances after being ghosted.

- Stereotypes About Professionalism: Black candidates often feel pressure to over-perform to combat assumptions about competence or reliability. Ghosting exacerbates feelings that their efforts are invisible or insufficient.

These barriers mean that ghosting isn’t just annoying—it’s another hurdle in a system already stacked against Black job seekers.

The Human Cost of Ghosting

Time Wasted

For every job application, candidates invest significant time:

• Research: Understanding company values, culture, and role expectations.

• Preparation: Tailoring resumes and cover letters, practicing interview responses, and traveling to interviews.

On average, candidates spend 20 hours preparing for each interview. For someone ghosted after five interviews, that’s 100 hours lost—time that could’ve been used to pursue other opportunities or build new skills.

Financial Losses

Ghosting isn’t just a time drain—it’s expensive:

• Travel Expenses: In-person interviews cost an average of $50 per trip.

• Professional Attire: Interview clothes can run upwards of $200.

• Childcare Costs: For parents, each interview may mean paying $20/hour for childcare.

For five interviews, these costs can easily total $1,450, a significant burden for unemployed individuals.

Emotional Toll

Ghosting messes with your head. It’s not just frustrating—it’s damaging.

A Greenhouse survey revealed that 79% of job seekers experience heightened stress due to ghosting, with some turning to therapy to cope. That stress doesn’t just disappear—it spills over into future applications and everyday life.

Quantifying the ROI of Ghosting

When you add it all up, ghosting leaves candidates with nothing to show for their investment—no feedback, no offer, no closure. Let’s break down the estimated cost based on average market values:

Investment Costs

1. Time Wasted: 100 hours at an hourly wage of $25 = $2,500.

2. Financial Losses: Travel ($250), attire ($200), childcare ($1,000) = $1,450.

3. Emotional Toll:

   • Therapy sessions ($100/session for 5 sessions): $500.

   • Lost productivity due to stress (estimated at $12,000 over three months).

Total Investment: $16,450.

Return

Since ghosting gives you nothing—no job, no feedback—the ROI formula becomes:

ROI Equation

A -100% ROI reflects that candidates lose 100% of their investment when employers can’t be bothered to send a simple update. 

Why Ghosting Matters

Ghosting isn’t just a personal inconvenience—it’s a systemic problem. It erodes trust in hiring processes and makes people feel disposable. For Black job seekers—who face a 66% higher chance of being ghosted—it’s another form of exclusion.

Companies also bear consequences. Ghosting damages reputations and drives away top talent as word spreads online about poor hiring practices. A simple rejection email or update that is automatically triggered during the selection process can preserve goodwill and mitigate these effects. 

How to Implement Change

It’s time for companies to do better:

• Transparency: Share clear timelines for hiring decisions.

• Communication: Even an automated rejection email shows basic respect.

• Accountability: Treat recruitment as a two-way street—because candidates deserve better.

For job seekers, resilience is key—but so is speaking up. Sharing experiences on platforms like Glassdoor, Linkedin, etc. holds companies accountable and pushes for better practices.

Conclusion

Ghosting isn’t just bad manners—it’s a costly practice that leaves job seekers emotionally drained and financially strapped. When quantified through ROI metrics, its impact becomes undeniable: ghosting takes a real toll.

Respectful communication can rebuild trust in hiring processes and create more equitable systems—for all candidates navigating this broken system.

*Generated with the help of Perplexity.ai to ensure statistics are factual.