You sent the offer. The candidate said yes. You started the paperwork.
Then — nothing. Radio silence. Missed calls. A WhatsApp left on "seen."
This isn't rare. It happens to 20–30% of extended job offers across industries, and it's getting more common. Most HR Managers chalk it up to bad manners or a better competing offer. Both can be true. But there's a third explanation that's almost never discussed: your employer brand told candidates one story, and the offer stage told them another.
The data: how common is this
A 2024 survey of 500+ hiring managers found that 28% had experienced candidate ghosting after a verbal or written acceptance in the past 12 months. For companies competing for tech, sales, and operations roles, the figure is higher.
For every high-profile story about a recruiter being ghosted mid-process, there are quieter losses: candidates who accepted, then found something better, then didn't know how to back out — so they didn't. Candidates who accepted out of pressure and then panicked. Candidates who accepted, then read 3 Glassdoor reviews, and decided the risk wasn't worth it.
The common thread in each of these cases: a gap between expectation and perceived reality. And that gap has a name: employer brand misalignment.
The 3 root causes
1. Your company story and your reality don't match
Most job ads and careers pages describe the company as it aspires to be, not as it is. "Fast-paced and collaborative." "Strong culture of growth." "Work-life balance."
These phrases are so overused that candidates read them as defaults, not signals. But when a specific promise is made — "we have a flat hierarchy" or "we offer full remote flexibility" — and the offer letter or early conversations suggest otherwise, the gap becomes visible.
Candidates at the offer stage are paying close attention. They're reading the offer letter carefully. They're asking clarifying questions. They're running searches they didn't bother with during earlier stages because now the decision is real.
2. The offer narrative is weak
Most offer letters are legal documents. They list the salary, the start date, the role title, the notice period. They contain almost no employer brand content.
Compare this to what a strong offer stage looks like: a personal message from the hiring manager, a note about what the first 90 days look like, a recap of what the team is working on, and a direct line to ask questions before the start date.
The difference between "here is your offer letter" and "we're genuinely excited to have you join — here's what to expect" is the difference between a transactional close and a relationship close. Candidates who feel genuinely welcomed are far less likely to ghost.
3. Your online presence is undermining you at the worst moment
Here's when candidates do their deepest employer research: right before they sign and right before they start.
Not during the first application. During that window, they're screening for basic fit. But once they have an offer — now the decision is real and the stakes are high. They're checking GoWork.pl with intent. They're reading every review, not just the first few. They're finding the 2-year-old review that mentions "management doesn't communicate decisions" and wondering if it's still true.
83% of candidates research employer reviews before accepting an offer (Glassdoor). If your GoWork.pl profile has unclaimed reviews, a 3.1 average, and no employer responses — that's working against you at exactly the moment it matters most.
What candidates see before they commit
The EB touchpoints that candidates check at the offer stage are different from the ones they checked when they first applied.
| Stage | What candidates check | |---|---| | First application | Job ad, quick Google search, LinkedIn page | | Interview stages | Glassdoor/GoWork.pl, LinkedIn employee profiles | | Offer decision | GoWork.pl reviews in detail, LinkedIn posts, company news, personal network |
Notice: by the offer stage, candidates are asking the people they know. A friend-of-a-friend who worked at your company 3 years ago is now a data point in the candidate's decision. That story exists whether you curated it or not.
This is why employer branding isn't just about attracting candidates — it's about holding them through the decision process. A strong employer brand reduces the friction at every moment of doubt.
The fix: EB at the offer stage
Three things move the needle here. None of them require a big budget.
1. Improve your offer communication
Write offer letters that sound human. After the standard legal section, add a short personal note: why this candidate, what the team is looking forward to, one thing that's happening in the company right now that's exciting. 3 sentences. It takes 5 minutes. It works.
2. Send a pre-start sequence
Between the signed offer and the start date, candidates have time to get cold feet. A pre-start email sequence — 2 or 3 emails over 2 weeks — keeps the relationship warm. Topics: team introductions, a sneak peek at the first project, logistics for day one, a direct contact for any questions.
Each email is a signal that you're real, you're organized, and you're actually excited about this person starting.
3. Actively manage your GoWork.pl presence
Claim your profile if you haven't. Respond to every review — including the negative ones. Aim for a response rate of 100% within 2 weeks. A company that responds thoughtfully to criticism shows self-awareness and accountability. That matters to candidates making a final decision.
New positive reviews don't happen by accident. Ask recent hires — 30 days in, when they're still in the honeymoon phase — to share their experience on GoWork.pl. Most will say yes if you just ask.
How to measure if your EB is causing this
Two numbers to track starting now.
Offer acceptance rate: How many verbal acceptances turn into signed offers and actual start dates? If it's below 80%, you have a late-stage drop-off problem that's worth diagnosing.
Offer-to-start conversion: How many signed offers turn into people who actually show up on day one? If this is below 90%, you have a ghosting problem and the pre-start experience is the likely culprit.
Both of these numbers are directly influenced by employer brand strength. They're also easy to track without any specialized software — you just need to log them.
The Embr EB Audit measures candidate experience as one of 6 dimensions, including the offer and onboarding touchpoints that most HR teams overlook.
Find out if your employer brand is losing candidates at the offer stage — run the free Embr audit.