'Career catfishing' is on the rise – but what is it?

A new, bizarre workplace trend is emerging, where younger generations are accepting job offers but never showing up for their first day of work. Welcome to the age of 'career catfishing'.

A study of 1,000 UK workers found that a staggering 34 per cent of Gen Z have confessed to career catfishing without communicating with their new boss. This is compared to 24 per cent of millennials, 11 per cent of Gen X, and 7 per cent of boomers.

But why does this happen?

Well, according to Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, the applicant may have spotted some red flags after the recruitment process and accepting the job. He also suggested they could have received a better offer elsewhere.

iStock

For businesses concerned abut being ghosted by applicants, Peter advises employers to stay in touch with new hires.

"If there’s a long gap between the job offer and their start date, check in regularly. A lot can change in just a few weeks," he shared.

It is also crucial to be upfront about the role, according to Peter. "A super-clear job description helps you set expectations. Candidates will know exactly what they’re signing up for. And if you’re working with a recruiter or agency, make sure they’re on the same page communication-wise, too," he added.

It's not just the UK experiencing the rise of career catfishing, with Aussies also being hit with no-shows.

Australian recruitment expert and career coach Tammie Christofis Ballis told AU News that it's much more common than you may think. In fact, "it happens all the time. That is absolutely normal in recruitment."

"I think now with the new generations, where they’re scared to pick up the phone, they might have found another job, and they don’t want to let the other person down, so they just ghost and don’t turn up," Ballis boldly suggested.

You may also like...

• Corporate hustle culture is officially dying – and we have Gen Z to thank
• 'Touch Grass': App encourages people to literally 'touch grass' to combat doomscrolling

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.