CINCINNATI — Job hunters with options are treating potential employers like bad dates.
Hiring managers surveyed by the job website Indeed said three out of four job seekers cut off contact without explanation. A similar number of job seekers claim employers "ghosted" candidates too.
Charlie Smith will not forget it.
"The day I was supposed to start (a job) I showed up and when I walked in they said we can't use you," Smith said. "We already hired somebody else."
With 50 openings and fierce competition for drivers during a national shortage, Cincinnati Metro intends to win over candidates with integrity. Metro's $2,000 hiring bonus and free commercial driver training come with strings.
"We're giving you the initial investment," said Brandy Jones, vice president of external affairs. "If you stay with us and you give it at least 95 days to really get out there and see if this is the right role, at that point, we're pretty sure that you're committed to the organization and that you're committed to the role that you're doing and you'll stay with us. We're investing a lot into a candidate upfront...you're getting the CDL (commercial driver's license) and hiring bonus. That's almost $7,000 of investment not to mention the pay at $19 an hour."
Metro's evolving strategy to reel in new hires and get more buses serving more customers involves monthly job fairs too. Candidates can mingle with current drivers to hear the good, bad and ugly before committing.
With employers keeping records on "ghosters," job seekers surveyed reported suffering more consequences from "ghosting" in 2020 compared to 2019.
It is why Kendall Basley, 62, turned down housekeeping work with the Veteran's Affairs Hospital with a hand-written letter.
"That keeps you in good faith," he said. "If you burn the bridges, they'll never help you again."
In Smith's case, he found another offer and starts his new job as a short-order cook Friday. Smith has no plans to turn back, either.
"If somebody would come up to me and say, hey, I'll pay you $15 (an hour) to do this job I would say no because I (have) this job," said Smith.
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