Picture this: a company interviews several candidates for a new role. After rounds of interviews, they extend an offer to one stand-out candidate. Good news, the candidate accepts! But when day one comes around, they're a no-show. No call. No email. No explanation. The company never hears from them again.
This growing trend of job ghosting by candidates after accepting a job offer is called career catfishing—and it’s becoming alarmingly common.
What is Career Catfishing?
Career catfishing happens when a candidate accepts a job offer but never shows up for their first day—or any day, for that matter. The term borrows from internet slang “catfishing,” where someone creates a false persona to deceive others online. While some point fingers at Gen Z, the reality is this behavior cuts across all generations. Ghosting an employer isn't new, but the scale and visibility of this trend are.
Why Do People Ghost Employers?
There are several reasons why candidates might ghost a job—some impulsive, some intentional:
- Out of spite: If the hiring process dragged on for months, included poor communication, or involved an uncomfortable interaction, the candidate might retaliate by catfishing.
- Last-minute nerves: Severe anxiety about a new role can cause someone to panic and pull away, even if they were excited initially.
- Employer Online Reputation: After accepting an offer, a candidate might dig deeper into online company reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, Reddit, or Blind, and uncover red flags. Negative employee feedback, toxic company culture, or a pattern of high turnover can make the opportunity feel too risky to pursue.
- A competing job offer: Especially in high-demand fields, candidates may accept multiple offers and ultimately choose the best one—ghosting the others without warning.
Why Career Catfishing Hurts You (More Than Them)
While it might seem like a clean escape, ghosting an employer can have serious consequences for your career:
- Don't burn bridges: In a job market that’s so unstable, you can’t afford to risk further barriers to entry on any job. For one, recruiters and hiring managers will always remember what you did (and, believe us, they all talk to each other). Career catfishing also breaks trust with companies and individuals that will be hard to rebuild in the future.
- Protect your reputation: If this story is told on social media, for example? You can wave your reputation goodbye.
- Makes the hiring process harder for us all: Career catfishing contributes to mistrust all around. Between ghost jobs, scammers, and now career catfishing, these misleading actions are part of the reason we have such exhaustive hiring and screening processes today!
The Better Way to Bow Out
Not feeling the role anymore? That’s totally valid. But there’s a more professional (and karma-friendly) way to handle it:
- Be honest from the jump. Ask the tough questions during interviews so you can make an informed decision. As soon as you feel you’re no longer interested, tell the recruiter.
- Take your time. Received an offer? You don’t have to say “yes” right away. Sleep on it and consider your options before letting the recruiter know whether or not you’re going to accept the offer.
- Back out respectfully. No matter why you're changing your mind, remember: all it takes is a quick email. You got another offer, you’re going freelance, you don’t feel this job is right for you after all—whatever the reason, simply write a firm, kind note to the recruiter as to why you have to rescind your acceptance of this offer.
Bottom Line: Don’t Do It
Career catfishing might seem harmless, but it’s not worth the fallout. If you're unsure about a job, it's okay to say no—it’s just not okay to disappear. (You would hate it if the company did that to you.)
Still searching for a role that feels like the right fit? Don’t ghost—get guidance. Our recruiters at Artisan specialize in matching top creative talent with companies worth showing up for. We are pros at placing top talent like you with amazing clients on our roster.