Would you ‘ghost’ an interview? Student Ryan-Mark Parsons claims it’s ’empowering’ not to show up – but is branded ‘narcissistic’

A furious debate erupted on Monday’s Good Morning Britain when former Apprentice star Ryan-Mark Parsons argued that it is “empowering” to “ghost” an interview offer.

The idea of ​​”ghosting” is a term coined in relation to dating apps, for when someone loses interest and rejects someone they’ve been seeing or chatting with, without offering an explanation.

But a new study from recruitment platform Indeed shows that it has also become commonplace during the job search.

The study found that eight in ten (79 percent) of Generation Z and Millennial job seekers – defined for the study as ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 39, respectively – have engaged in ghosting in the past year.

Meanwhile, 93 percent of Gen Z applicants said they simply didn’t show up for a job interview.

Ryan-Mark, who became the youngest ever candidate for The Apprentice in 2019, appeared on GMB with Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley and argued that ignoring an interview request can feel ’empowering’.

Susanna asked, “How on earth is it empowering to ghost the employer?” You just don’t get the job you wanted.’

But Ryan-Mark, now 23, replied: ‘It’s about being selective. You have decided not to opt for that position. Why do you need to inform the employer of this? They treat you with no respect. 75 percent of employers don’t even contact candidates after they apply.

“All you’re doing is returning the same kind of respect. There’s a reason why you’re not showing up for the interview.’

CEO of Gen Z company Saffron Gilbert-Kaluba, founder of The Law Chronicle, was quick to disagree, arguing that the practice of ghosting interviews is rude and disrespectful.

She said, “The person you’re trying to pin it on has contacted you. I feel like it’s narcissistic. There is no point in breaking potential relationships with companies and people who can help you in the future.

‘You have to see it as life. Do you expect a reaction to everything in your life? Sometimes you have to make peace without conclusion.”

She added, “You feel empowered by ghosting someone who gives you a chance.

“I just think it’s a really bad thing for Gen Z culture to say, you know what, I could just stick with the guy and not put enough effort into it. Actually it paints a very bad picture.’

Susanna added: ‘You may be without job offers six months later,’ but Ryan-Mark said this was a ‘minimal risk’.

He continues: ‘It takes an average of three to six months to find a new job. It is a difficult process. The majority don’t even send an automatically generated email.

‘Don’t be so whiny, so petulant and so thin. Get over it! Go to another candidate.’

Ryan-Mark added that he also wouldn’t contact a restaurant to cancel a dinner reservation if he changed his mind.

A GMB poll found that 12 percent thought it was acceptable not to show up for a job interview.

Indeed’s survey asked 1,500 companies and 1,500 adults about ghosting in the workplace.

Nearly one in five of the Generation Z cohort said ghosting potential employers was empowering and allowed them to take charge of their careers.

Nearly nine in 10 said they didn’t show up on their first day of work, and almost a quarter said they quit their job without notice.

Viewers were left divided after the segment, as one said: ‘How to reduce your job prospects in one simple lesson…’

Another commented: ‘It’s called bad manners! Simple.’

But another agreed with Ryan-Mark: ‘Totally agree with the young man. Even if it is an automatic response, it is common to notify an applicant if they have not passed.

“Would you please say thank you for your morning coffee?” Manners cost nothing and go a long way in life.’

A final viewer concluded: ‘People of any age don’t show up for interviews. Many companies don’t bother to acknowledge applications. Both are wrong.’

Businesses have said that attitudes towards ‘ghosting’ are making the process of hiring new staff more difficult, which has been noted by Apprentice winner Ricky Martin.

Several times a year, his company organizes assessment days for graduates who want to join his company, he says, but “an increasing percentage of those who have accepted an invitation simply don’t show up.”

He added: “It’s a huge shift from the world I grew up in,” adding: “I got my first job at 13, delivering papers, and at 16 I was earning £ 2.97 an hour at my local Budgens.

‘Some of the work was boring, but I never doubted its necessity: the effort was part of the road to success. Twenty years later, I struggle to see the same attitude in this new crop.

“While many of the young people I recruit are committed and enthusiastic, their focus has changed.

‘No matter how enthusiastic they are, they come to an interview – when they come – asking what my company can do for them, instead of what they have to offer. Young people undoubtedly see social media influencers working from a beach and believe they should be able to do the same.”