Currently, it’s a job seeker’s market. Low unemployment means companies are competing for top talent, and that can leave you sitting in the proverbial driver’s seat.

However, as candidates gain more control thanks to shrinking labor pools, a trend is beginning to take shape. Job seekers are ghosting employers.

In some cases, this involves candidates no-showing for scheduled interviews without a call or email saying they won’t be attending. In others, they stop responding to calls or messages from hiring managers or recruiters, providing no explanation for their disappearance. Surprisingly, some job seekers are even ghosting potential employers after they accept an initial offer, ultimately never reporting to the company on their first day.

If you’re juggling multiple offers or prospective employers, the idea of letting one fall by the wayside may seem harmless. But that isn’t the case. Ghosting a potential employer comes with repercussions, harming your reputation and potentially meaning you can never land a job with that company in the future.

In cases where you wish to remove yourself from contention or even turn down an offer you initially accepted, there is a right way to go about it. Here’s what you need to know.

If you want to drop out of the hiring process, you can usually accomplish that fairly easily if an offer isn’t currently on the table. By crafting a short email to the hiring manager, you can remove yourself from contention with grace and professionalism.

Begin your email by thanking the hiring manager for considering you for the role and the time they have spent reviewing your applications or interviewing you. Next, let them know that the job isn’t the right fit for you at this time and that you would like to remove yourself from consideration. Finally, let them know that you would like to stay in contact and look forward to potential opportunities that may be a better fit.

If you want to add anything additional, you can always include a line about something you liked about the company or team. You can also provide a more specific reason, but that isn’t required.

Just make sure to send the message as soon as you’ve decided the job isn’t right for you. If you delay, that puts additional strain on the hiring manager. Additionally, it gives them time to develop an offer, suggesting you were the top candidate, and, once that is delivered, your approach may change.

Once you receive an offer, you usually have a small window in which you can make a decision. If that window isn’t closed, you can use an email similar to the one outlined above. However, if that window is over, you need to act quickly, and that usually means calling the hiring manager to decline the job.

If you accepted the position and have since changed your mind, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach out. While the conversation may be awkward and you could end up burning that bridge, it’s better than simply ghosting them on your first day, a move that could harm your reputation in a major way.

Pick up the phone and call the hiring manager. Let them know you understand you were set to start in the role, but that you can no longer take the job. You can provide a basic reason, such as a personal matter means making a change isn’t ideal or that you took a position with another company, but feel free to make the reason general.

Then, acknowledge your decision puts them in a tough spot, but that you wanted to inform them quickly. Finally, thank them for the opportunity.

Don’t be surprised if the hiring manager is upset, as it does make their life more difficult. Additionally, understanding that your reputation may be damaged, especially at that company and potentially within the hiring manager’s network. But, even if you burn that bridge, that is something you can overcome with time as long as backing out of jobs doesn’t become a habit. Plus, it’s much easier to move forward from that than it would be if you ghosted them.

If you are interested in learning more, the professionals at TempStaff can help. Contact us to speak with one of our team members today and see how our hiring expertise can benefit you. Or, if you’re looking for new Mississippi jobs, click here!