It’s a sad and lamentable irony that the ceaseless connectivity of our digital age has produced an etiquette that accommodates ghosting (the sudden and permanent silence in an on-going dialogue) as acceptable behavior. This conduct occurs commonly despite our being armed with all the ‘productivity’ tools for incredibly simple and easy communication!
We have all experienced it in so many different interactions throughout the course of doing business or interviewing or in our personal lives that we have become almost immune to the insult. How many times have you been engaged in a dialogue over days or even weeks and without any indication or warning you get ‘radio silence’? How long can a quick email take? Even receiving a message of little substance, the response itself treats us with the basic dignity of acknowledgement that we all deserve.
Of course, virtually every one of us has been guilty of this sin, such is the pervasive cowardice of avoiding uncomfortable correspondence despite the ease of our technological distance. But since none of us enjoys the treatment, it is imperative that we refuse to contribute to this social epidemic. What’s more, in addition to the satisfaction we gain from personal integrity, communicating responsibly will surprisingly make us exceptional in an otherwise sea of indifference.
I have personally received unexpected gratitude when providing feedback on interviews, even when it was candid and sometimes painfully embarrassing news for my candidates. Whether my contact was a direct phone call or a simple email, the communication was always appreciated, as it provided clarity or closure to typically emotionally invested concerns.
All that is required to stand out from the deafening silence is to be kind enough to respond when the response is warranted, and you will enjoy the unique distinction of behaving like a decent person in an age of spineless digital disregard.
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