Graduate reneges are rising because candidates have more options and less patience, the fix is faster decisions, a longer, warmer pre-boarding relationship, and a graduate employer brand that keeps delivering after the offer is signed.
Ghosting, noun: the practice of ending a relationship with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, withdrawing from all communication.
83% of employers report they've been ghosted by jobseekers, according to Indeed research. It's not a new phenomenon, but in a market of low unemployment, tight labour supply and AI-assisted applications, it's becoming more common.
There's particularly bad news for graduate employers. Bright Network's 2025 report found that 57% of students intended to apply for as many jobs as they could, even if they didn't intend to stay in the process. 50% said they'd used AI to support themselves through an application and assessment process, and over 50% of students had already applied for more than 20 roles, with 9% making more than 100 applications.
Ghosting can happen at any stage. Some applicants don't turn up to interviews, others complete several rounds before pulling out, and a sizeable number accept an offer but never show up, causing maximum disruption and cost. Research from Indeed found that of the 83% of employers who report being ghosted, 65% say the candidate accepted their offer but failed to show up on day one.
The ISE also reported a 6% industry-wide renege rate, with the finance sector hitting 11%. With average student cost-per-hire hitting £1,961, reducing reneges is something every emerging talent recruiter should be focused on. So, what can be done?
Act swiftly, and communicate the process clearly
Robert Half reported that 35% of employers surveyed said they'd lost out on a candidate by being too slow to make an offer. Streamlining your application process, and making it as simple and accessible as possible, keeps applicants moving through each stage. Make sure your communications include clear timelines, outlining each step simply. Include timescales and stick to them. Make early stages easy to access with phone interviews or online meetings and tests that don't require travel, and offer a range of time options to fit around student schedules. Make decisions swiftly. If your offer is the first a candidate receives, they're less likely to keep applying elsewhere, or to accept a counter-offer.
Build strong relationships with, and between, your graduates and interns
The time between accepting an offer and starting on day one is much longer for graduates than for most new hires, often stretching over several months. That makes your pre-boarding strategy key to reducing no-shows on day one. Communicating regularly with each graduate, and helping them engage with future colleagues, is vital.
Onboarding platforms such as Eli, or Eli Go, are a highly effective way to do this. Each graduate gets an editable profile, where they can answer questions that help fellow graduates get to know them. A social wall gives graduates a place to meet, chat, post and interact, the kind of online social forum they're already used to.
The portal can also introduce each graduate to their buddy, line manager and development manager through a messaging function, so they can ask questions and start building relationships early, plus chat to other graduates directly. A tailored contacts book lets them see who else is on their programme, and a calendar of online events gives grads multiple chances to stay in touch before day one.
When Cognizant launched their onboarding experience in 2022, they found graduates visited the portal nearly every day between offer and day one, with the social wall and messaging apps the most popular areas. That trend has held true, current cohorts still spend hours interacting with each other before day one. This builds a real sense of belonging among new starters, and helps explain Cognizant's dropout rate, currently an industry-defying 8%. NatWest Group reported a 5% reduction in grad reneges last year, and BDO a 3% reduction, saving them £36,317.
Keep communicating your graduate employer brand
The same Robert Half survey found that 19% of applicants stopped communicating with a prospective employer after hearing negative feedback about the organisation. Avoiding this goes beyond any one action, especially given how quickly new hires share negative experiences online. Still, there's plenty you can do directly.
First, communicate your employer brand directly to applicants throughout the application and pre-boarding stage. From stories of career development among current and former graduates, across the widest range of backgrounds, to information on exciting projects underway, keep selling what your organisation offers throughout the process, and track NPS scores at each stage where you can. That lets you spot pain points and improve over time.
Monitoring your employer brand's reputation, particularly on the forums graduates are most likely to visit, matters too. Analysing negative external content for recurring themes can help you evolve and improve the graduate experience.
Help graduates visualise, and plan, their future with you
If graduates can start imagining and planning their future with you between accepting an offer and starting, they're far less likely to be lured away by a competitor. That connection can start as soon as they show interest in your organisation, through a CRM or portal like Eli. Think about how you can create a positive hiring experience: guiding students through your assessment process, building their confidence and skills, connecting them with mentors, and helping them self-select.
That journey continues at offer, when pre-boarding helps them build the specific skills they need to shine in the role. You could even use their assessment results to tailor their development programme.
Measures like these can meaningfully reduce ghosting among your graduate cohort. When NatWest Group introduced a number of these initiatives, their graduate dropout rate fell in the first year, then again in year two as the experience evolved based on feedback from the previous cohort.
Empowering students early with the tools to build strong relationships with their team, and each other, before they set foot in your organisation is powerful. So is putting candidate wellbeing at the heart of your process. Do both well, and your eNPS score will follow; BDO's hit +63 this year with Eli's support.
FAQs
Why are graduate reneges rising?
Candidates have more options in a tight labour market, more of them are applying to multiple roles in parallel, and AI is making it faster and easier to apply broadly. That combination means offer-accepters have less reason to stay committed unless employers actively keep them engaged.
How quickly should you make a graduate offer?
As quickly as you reasonably can. Being the first employer to make an offer significantly reduces the chance a candidate keeps applying elsewhere or accepts a counter-offer.
Why does pre-boarding matter so much for graduates specifically?
The gap between accepting a graduate offer and starting is typically much longer than for other hires, often several months, which is more time for a candidate's commitment to fade without regular contact and connection.
How can you reduce graduate ghosting on day one?
Combine fast, clear communication through the process with a pre-boarding experience that builds real relationships, with future colleagues, buddies and managers, so graduates arrive on day one already feeling part of the team.
