Young Australian workers are increasingly facing a phenomenon known as “ghosting” from employers, with one in three Australians reporting they have been ignored after applying for a job, according to data from Employment Hero.
Irish expat Alan Reynolds spent two years curating his resume and typing bespoke cover letters for nearly 50 full-time roles. He received responses from only ten employers, a 20 per cent response rate.
Reynolds, who worked as a freelancer while searching, noted his working holiday visa created additional hurdles. “My visa played a big part. Being on a working holiday visa meant there were limits around how long I could work with one employer,” Reynolds added. Younger workers under 35 are statistically less likely to receive a response after applying or interviewing, according to Employment Hero.
Sophie Carlton-Greaves, a 24-year-old sports scientist, applied for approximately 25 roles after completing her PhD. She received responses from only five.
“I expected some applications to go unanswered, but it was frustrating when I went through multiple interview stages and then never heard anything back,” Sophie Carlton-Greaves, a 24-year-old sports scientist, said.
British woman Lucy Farmer, 28, experienced a high rate of non-response while applying for transport planning roles. After submitting 80 applications, she estimates she did not hear back from 70 per cent of them.
The lack of communication from employers is often attributed to the administrative burden faced by recruitment teams. David Holland, managing director of talent solutions at Employment Hero, said many small business owners are struggling to keep up with compliance requirements.
Approximately 22 per cent of job applicants admit that they lose interest in a role if they are forced to wait too long for a response, according to Employment Hero.
