Ghosting in Business: Time for it to end.

21 July 2025 Reading Time: 3 minutes

by Barbara Pesel:

Imagine dedicating hours to a proposal or negotiation. You deep dive into a brief, research a business’ in and outs. Carefully craft sentences that show a potential new client how a collaboration will benefit you both. You hit send on the email, excited and hopeful.

Only to be met with the silence of unanswered emails. No feedback, no explanation. You’ve been ghosted.

This unsettling scenario has become alarmingly frequent in business environments, and its consequences are more profound than you might think.

What is ghosting in business?

Ghosting is the act of abruptly ceasing communication with another party without notice or explanation. Originally coined in the realm of dating, it’s found its way into professional contexts, including recruitment, vendor negotiations, and consulting relationships.

Ghosting was once something we associated with the complexities of romantic relationships – messy, emotional, and occasionally hurtful. However, its emergence in the professional world is upsetting in a different way.

Regardless of the context, ghosting dismantles the fundamental pillars of any professional relationship: trust, respect, and integrity.

Why does ghosting happen?

A recent MDPI study (2024) identifies several reasons for ghosting in professional settings:

• Fear of confrontation: Many avoid difficult conversations, preferring silence over delivering bad news.

• Communication overload: Overwhelmed professionals may see non-responses as convenient.

• Time constraints: Demanding workloads push communication follow-ups to the bottom of the priority list.

• Digital disconnection: The barriers provided by email and messaging reduce accountability, making ghosting easier.

While these reasons help explain the behaviour, they don’t justify it. Ghosting reflects a lack of professionalism that can affect both individuals and organisations in significant ways.

The impact of Ghosting on business relationships

Erosion of trust

Communication is the foundation of trust. When one party suddenly withdraws without explanation, it sends a clear message of disregard for the other party’s time, effort, or expectations.

Damaged reputation

A Point Road Group report (2025) highlights how companies known for ghosting often develop reputations for being unreliable or disrespectful. This deters potential partnerships, clients, and talent.

Missed opportunities

In avoiding sharing bad news, ghosting closes down future opportunities for innovation or growth.

Psychological toll

The party being ghosted often experiences feelings of rejection and confusion, which can impact morale and future interactions.

A framework for professional respect

How can businesses curb this growing trend of ghosting? Here are 4 steps businesses can adopt to avoid falling into the practice.

1. Adopt clear communication policies

Create organisational protocols on response times and preferred communication channels. This ensures clarity in how and when parties are expected to engage. For example, a simple, “We’ll get back to you within five business days” and following through on that promise sets transparent expectations.

2. Practise radical candour

It’s never easy to have difficult conversations, but honesty can strengthen relationships – even when the message won’t land favourably. Providing constructive feedback, even in cases of rejection, shows professionalism and respect for the other party’s efforts.

3. Set the tone from leadership

Leadership teams should model respectful communication practices, showcasing the value of collaboration across teams and stakeholders.

4. Commit to continuous improvement

Encourage your team to review interactions and address ghosting with clear strategies like follow-up reminders, or designated communication roles. Regular audits of these processes keep everyone accountable and connected.

Why we should reject ghosting

Leaving relationships unresolved weakens not just the connection but the reputation and outcomes for everyone involved. Long-term growth depends on mutual respect, trustworthiness, and the willingness to engage in even the toughest conversations. Imagine a business ecosystem where feedback is celebrated. A space where relationships are strengthened rather than left to deteriorate.

The question isn’t whether ghosting is bad for business. It’s how much better your business could thrive without it.

By addressing this issue head-on, we not only build healthier professional ecosystems, we drive more impactful, lasting outcomes.

This report showed that poor communication practices, including ghosting, cost businesses significantly, with miscommunication estimated to account for losses of up to $37 billion annually in the US and UK alone. A 2019 survey by Korn Ferry revealed that 67% of professionals believe failing to communicate effectively is the primary reason for workplace inefficiencies.

Ghosting in the business world is a moral failure. It breaches duty-based ethics by neglecting the obligation to communicate respectfully, harms trust and wellbeing and disregards core virtues like honesty, empathy, and respect.

By fostering a culture that prioritises honest, timely and respectful communication, organisations can not only avoid these pitfalls but can also boost trust, collaboration, and overall productivity.

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Barbara Pesel is Managing Director Pesel & Carr in Melbourne, Australia.  She is Chair, IABC APAC, a #WeLeadComms honoree, and a Strategic Columnist

Written by: Editor