Ghosting in the application process: Nearly two in three jobseekers do not receive a final response.

EQS-Media / 14.07.2025 / 08:56 CET/CEST

Press release
Ghosting in the application process: Nearly two in three jobseekers do not receive a final response.

• Despite economic uncertainty: 69% regularly think about a new job
• Ghosting is widespread: Both job seekers and recruiters are frequently transferred
• Lack of feedback on applications paralyses the labour market

DÜSSELDORF, 14 July 2025 - Almost seven out of ten people are currently ready for a new professional challenge - despite the current economic uncertainties, which are also having an impact on the job market. This is the result of a survey conducted by The Stepstone Group among 8,100 respondents, including more than 500 HR managers in Germany. However: 64 % of job seekers report that they have been ‘ghosted’ by companies - i.e. never heard from again after applying. This happens most frequently directly after submitting the documents (44 %). Nearly one in ten applicants (9.5%) do not receive any feedback after their first job interview.

“Many HR departments are under pressure: jobs are going unfilled for longer and longer because suitable candidates are hard to find,” says Dr Tobias Zimmermann, labour market expert at The Stepstone Group. "This makes it all the more important that recruiters are given the means to use modern tools. AI-supported assistance, for example in formulating job adverts, automatically finding suitable candidates or digital appointment management, relieves them of tasks and creates space for what really matters."
Because the real bottleneck is often not in finding suitable candidates - but in responding. According to a Stepstone study, a lack of feedback or progress updates in the application process are the main reason for cancelling an application (54 %). “Transparent and efficient processes are therefore not only crucial in the competition for talent, but also a sustainable investment in the employer brand,” says Zimmermann.

Recruiters are also ghosted
Ghosting is not a one-way street: around 70 % of HR managers also state that they have experienced candidates ghosting them in the last twelve months. The majority of applicants did not get back to us after submitting their application documents (27 %), and almost as many after the first personal or digital interview (26 %). The most common reasons given by candidates for cancelling their application were a change of interest or another offer (38 %), a bad feeling after the interview or an application process that took too long (26 % each).

Applicants and companies perceive the balance of power on the labour market differently
Applicants therefore do not feel any intense pressure to go through an application process or accept a new job that does not suit them 100 percent. This changes the dynamics in the application process - and leads to a different perception of the balance of power on the labour market: while almost half of HR managers (49 %) believe that applicants are currently in a stronger negotiating position, job seekers themselves see it very differently. 42 % feel that companies currently have the upper hand.

"It shows the ambiguity of our times that both sides see themselves on the defensive. The economy is under pressure. And yet there is a shortage of skilled labour. A streamlined, transparent application process can help to resolve this misunderstanding", says Zimmermann. "When applications come to nothing, everyone loses: talented people feel ignored, and companies miss out on opportunities. Speed and transparency create a level playing field right from the start and ensure winners on both sides. Those who use AI-supported matching tools and digital communication, for example, gain a decisive advantage in the competition for the best minds."

About the study
The results come from The Stepstone Group's regular ‘Hiring Trends Index’ study series. In the period from 31 March to 7 April 2025, 8,100 employees were surveyed online, including over 500 recruiters. Among other things, the current survey shed light on employees' willingness to look for a new job, which factors are decisive and what experiences they have during the application process. The results are representative of the German labour force in terms of age, gender, and education.

About The Stepstone Group
The Stepstone Group is a leading global digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. AI-driven job marketplaces and programmatic-powered marketing solutions connect about 140 million job applications with more than 130,000 employers every year. In 2024, The Stepstone Group generated revenue of over €900 million. The Stepstone Group operates in more than 30 countries - including Stepstone in Germany, Appcast in the USA, and Totaljobs in the UK. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany and employs more than 3,000 people worldwide. For more information: www.thestepstonegroup.com/english

Contact
The Stepstone Group press
press@stepstone.com

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Language:

English

Company:

The Stepstone Group

Völklinger Straße 1

40219 Düsseldorf

Germany

Internet:

https://www.thestepstonegroup.com/de/

EQS News ID:

2167054

End of News

EQS Media

2167054 14.07.2025 CET/CEST