As
other employees quit without notice, the professionalism of experienced workers
could gain value
by Kerry Hannon, AARP, March 6, 2019
Is
the practice of giving two-weeks' notice before leaving a job history? In a
recent report about employment trends, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
revealed that several businesses in its region said “that they had been
‘ghosted,’ a situation in which an employee stops coming to work without notice
and then is impossible to contact.”
The
report is evidence of a phenomenon some recruiting and employment experts also
have started to notice. Ghosting, as the practice is called, so far appears to
be limited to younger workers, with the possible exception
of older workers in high-demand sales jobs. But the difference in attitudes
about acceptable ways to leave a job could be a positive for older workers, who
know that fewer burned bridges might lead to more career opportunities down the
road.
“I
have not seen a whole lot of ghosting with the older crowd,” says Jeff
Lipschultz, founder of staffing and recruiting firm A-List Solutions. “They’re
a bit more traditional and view their career as a journey and not individual
work experiences.”
One
exception for older workers: “I’ve seen ghosting with sales candidates during the recruiting
process. They tend to be overloaded with opportunities and don’t stay on top of
the details all the time like getting back to recruiters they’ve already spoken
to,” Lipschultz says.
Indeed,
the abundance of opportunities created by the low-unemployment rate is one
reason why some younger employees are quitting without giving notice. According
to that Federal Reserve Bank report, many employers have “been constrained … by
an inability to attract and retain qualified workers.” That means that some
companies are making job offers that candidates find too good to delay.
“It’s
an employee’s market,” says Donna Ballman, an
employment lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Another
theory: Younger workers, who have mastered the ghosting technique from dating
apps, don’t blink an eye at cutting a tie without explanation, and don’t look
back.
“I
think this phenomenon will grow,” Lipschultz says. “Many younger workers view
work as a contract or temporary thing; moving on is ‘no big deal’ and doesn’t
require linking one job to the next.”
For
older workers, however, networks and professional courtesy could be especially
important.
“Even
if they can’t wait to get out the door, smart professionals invest time in
leaving gracefully because they know that the job market is likely to be
tougher in the future as they grow older,” says Beverly Jones, an executive
career coach and author of Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO.
“The people you worked with on this job may be among those you call upon when
you’re looking for a job or client down the road.”
Another
reason to avoid the temptation to slip away without notice is that “walking
out, or no-showing, will probably get you labeled by the employer as
‘ineligible for rehire,’ ” Ballman says. “When clients have lost their jobs, I
often tell them to apply to former employers. If you left with a good
relationship, many times they want you back.”
Think
of when someone checks references, says Susan P. Joyce, an online job search
expert and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. “Unless the person leaves that
job completely off their resume or LinkedIn profile, the former employer will
be contacted,” she says. “Ghosting absolutely reflects very poorly.”
Besides,
if a current or recent job is left off a resume or application, “the job seeker
will need to explain their ‘employment gap,’ ” Joyce says.
Linda
Tuerk, a recruiter based in Portland, Ore.,
agrees. “References do matter. Cutting out completely without a valid reason is
not going to do you any favors in the future,” she says. “It’s rude at any
age.”
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