What Animal Health Employers Can Learn from Candidate Ghosting

Dog in white sheet ghost costume with eye holes, sitting beside orange and white pumpkins on hardwood floor.

Candidate ghosting is a familiar challenge for employers and recruiters, where candidates may disappear after an initial conversation, stop responding midway through an interview process, or even withdraw after receiving an offer. While there are certainly times when candidates simply change their minds or accept another opportunity, research suggests that the hiring process itself can also play a role. Indeed¹ found that candidates commonly ghost because they decide a position or company is not the right fit, receive another offer, or have concerns about compensation and benefits. Communication issues and uncertainty about how to withdraw from a process can also contribute.

From our perspective as animal health recruiters, one of the biggest mistakes employers can make is underestimating how closely candidates are evaluating the hiring process itself. Long stretches without communication, unclear expectations, changing job responsibilities, multiple unnecessary interview rounds, and delays in making decisions can all create frustration. SHRM⁴ reported that poor communication was the leading reason candidates withdrew from a hiring process in a 2024 survey, while Talent Board research² cited disrespect for candidates’ time, lengthy processes, and compensation concerns among the leading reasons candidates opted out. In a specialized industry like animal health, where qualified professionals may have several potential career paths available to them, losing a strong candidate because the process moves too slowly can be particularly costly.

Improving the interview process does not necessarily require a complicated rework. It starts with setting expectations early and following through consistently. Employers should provide candidates with a realistic timeline, clearly explain the stages of the process, communicate when decisions are delayed, and make sure everyone involved in interviewing understands the position and the candidate’s experience. Structured interviews can also help create a more consistent process and reduce the risk of different interviewers providing conflicting information. Greenhouse’s⁶ candidate experience research found that candidates place significant value on communication, transparency, and having their time respected. For animal health employers, this can mean making sure candidates understand everything from travel requirements and work schedules to reporting structure, compensation expectations, and the actual day-to-day responsibilities of the role.

Candidate experience should be treated as part of the recruiting strategy, not an afterthought. Candidates remember how they were treated, even when they do not receive an offer, and a positive experience can help preserve relationships for future opportunities. Greenhouse⁶ found that nearly eight in ten candidates would consider reapplying to a company after receiving feedback following an unsuccessful interview.

At Boaz Partners, we believe that clear communication, realistic expectations, timely feedback, and respect for a candidate’s time are essential to keeping strong professionals engaged. Employers cannot prevent every instance of ghosting, but they can create a hiring experience that gives candidates fewer reasons to walk away without a conversation.

Are you looking for top talent in the Specialty Chemical, Advanced Materials, or Animal Health industry?

Contact us to discuss how we can bring top leadership talent to your team. Boaz Partners is a premier executive search firm focused on the direct recruitment of executives and professionals for the specialty chemicals and animal health space. We are your partner, and our focus is on custom recruiting solutions. Follow the link to learn more about how our animal health recruiters can help you.