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The Ghosts of HR

Greer Campbell • Oct 25, 2023

In honor of spooky season, there is one ghoul that has no kryptonite in the realm of HR…Ghosting.


As HR professionals, we’ve all been there. You set up an interview with a stellar candidate on paper, join the video call 10 minutes early to ensure professionalism, and wait. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Anxieties and frustrations rise. Your mind goes to the negatives; “How dare they waste our time!” “They were probably trying to scam us.” “Better now than later!”


In today’s professional world, today’s job market, jumping immediately to the negative will only hurt your process and company in the long run. The world of work is changing, and we must take all the steps before diving headfirst into cynicism.


So, You’ve Been Ghosted…What’s Next?

Let’s start with an example:


Molly, a Houston resident Software Engineer, is set up with an interview for your open role. Her background and skill sets look like a perfect fit. Scheduling the interview via email was fast and promising. The calendar invite went out, Molly accepted it, you’re moving right along.

The interview comes, you and your colleague wait 10 minutes after Molly’s call time, but alas, no Molly. So, what comes next?

Your impulse may tell you to scratch her from the running. You don’t need to follow up, she was the one who ghosted you! No excuse will suffice, you’re onto the next one. But what if Molly did have a viable excuse? What is Molly works from home and her power went out last minute? What if Molly is a single mother and her child’s school called with an emergency?


Next time, and there will be a next time, fight the impulse and try to take the following or similar steps:

  1. Give your candidate a call!
  2. Technology, as advanced as it’s become, continues to glitch, and give users issues. Your candidate may be frantically and desperately trying to login and experiencing difficulties.
  3. Send a follow up email.
  4. There is a reason you and your team were so thrilled about the candidate. Giving a candidate grace, sending a “We missed you on the interview, willing to reschedule?” note can go a long way in not only working toward the perfect match for the role, but the candidate will see that you’re a company that values and understands people’s experiences.
  5. Even if the no-show is a deal breaker, don’t let the relationship obliviate.
  6. Your candidate no showed and now has been removed from consideration for the role. Even though they did not offer you any reasoning, sending an email explaining your reasoning will round out the process, with you and your organization taking the high road.


It may be Halloween time, but reactions and impulses don’t have to be a nightmare. For more guidance or information, visit www.diverse-talent.com

Mid-Year Business Update

By Greer Campbell • 04 Sep, 2024
The job market, quiet quitting, uprise of the digital age, and the decline of DEI? The professional world moves quickly, and it’s easy to get lost in the conundrum of new news. Here is your mid-year update. AI is Updating…Surprise Surprise Generative AI is updating their experience from transactional to a more personal approach. Individuals use of the internet will change, implementing 2-way conversation and solution focused models allowing users to get a more catered response. These updates will grant users a deeper understanding, and companies a more “human-like” vision of the brand. The New Future of Planning The concept of tradition has been molded, shifted, and completely torn apart in the past decade. Most of these shifts are seen as positive, yet some pose greater challenges than not. The rise of cost of living and cost of consummation has individuals adjusting their priorities. The global pandemic also threw a wrench in the ways of planning, pushing organizations to shift focus on fluidity and flexibility to ensure retention and growth. The Not So Quiet Quitting Quiet Quitting is a term that has been frequently thrown around since the pandemic. Commonly coined by social media, the act of quiet quitting refers to an employee doing the minimum requirements of their job, lacking effort, creativity, and excitement. According to a Gallup survey of workers taken in June 2022, quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. This act can be avoided by managers and organizations through regular check ins, employee surveys, and attention to creating a work-life balance. Technology in 2024: Helpful or Overwhelming? Tech advances are happening so rapidly, many feel that it’s become almost impossible to keep up. The advancement of technology is meant to make life easier, however some feel it’s doing the opposite. In addition to user error, technology is also playing a major part in mental health deterioration and wellbeing. The battle for attention, the pull of creativity, and most importantly – the brain rot. Are we letting this go too far?

Interview Questions Your Team Should Avoid

By Greer Campbell • 04 Mar, 2024
Growing your organization requires the right team. Hiring the right team requires the right approach. Vetting and getting to know potential hires is key to building an effective culture. Interviewing candidates is your first chance to understanding applicants, their skill sets, their professional goals, and more. But just as you are vetting applicants, they are vetting you. The interview process allows applicants to gain a better understanding of your organization’s goals, culture, and needs. Setting the right example and perspective on your company begins with your interviews. One wrong or controversial question, and that could break a potential beneficial business relationship. See below for examples of questions to avoid asking candidates in interviews, and why. Are you planning to start a family soon/Are you planning to expand your family soon? While this seems like an obvious conflict, many companies are still asking this to potential employers. This makes the applicant feel like that would make or break their candidacy. Mothers and fathers in business want to feel support from their employer, an unspoken sense of support. Starting a family or having a family does not dictate a candidate’s professional abilities, therefore there is no reason to ask. What are your religious, political, and sexual stances? Again, these are personal attributes that do not affect a candidate’s ability to perform professionally, therefore can be seen as inappropriate and reason for termination of consideration for candidacy. Where are you originally from? While on the surface this may seem like an innocent question, it is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 making it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of national origin. If you ask, you could be accused of discriminating against them. You can, however, ask if the candidate will be able to report to the position location required by the job opening. How old are you? It is illegal to ask someone’s age, you are only allowed to confirm the candidate is of legal age to work full time, being 18 years old. What salary did you make at your previous role? Many states have implemented a salary transparency law, enforcing job postings and descriptions must portray the salary range for the position. Even if your state does not have this law, it is safe to avoid asking a person’s salary history. Instead, share the salary range and confirm the candidate’s expectations are within the range. As the market continues to be competitive and ever changing, engaging a 3 rd party service like Diverse Talent can greatly benefit in finding your organization’s right fit based on our industry expertise.
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