Stop candidate ghosting before the first shift.

Send one message that names your agency, repeats the assignment and makes a reply easy. Give the candidate a specific deadline, with enough time left to arrange cover.

“Hi Nolan, this is Meridian Crew. Are you still available for tomorrow’s 2 p.m. packing shift at Cedarvale Packaging? Reply yes, no, or tell me what changed. Please reply by 10 a.m. tomorrow.”

For another assignment, use: “Are you still available for [shift] at [site]? Reply yes, no, or tell me what changed.” Add your agency name and reply deadline before sending.

If the answer reveals a problem, resolve it before counting the worker as confirmed. Underheard follows up by phone, checks availability and connects your recruiter when the worker needs help.

Candidate ghosting means someone stops replying without telling you they have withdrawn. Record the stage where contact stopped. An unanswered outreach call, a missed interview and a missed first shift need different next steps.

A worker who says no has given you a decision. Someone who has read a message but has not answered still needs a follow-up. Check with the site before recording an absence, and keep the reason unknown until you hear it.

A competing offer, a long wait or unclear job details can leave a candidate silent. For temp assignments, ask about the practical details before deciding they lost interest. Your next question should help them explain the change.

• Another offerAsk whether the candidate accepted other work and when they are next available.
• Slow updatesTell them who will respond next and when, so they know the assignment is still moving.
• Pay or hoursRepeat the hourly pay, shift length and start time. Check whether those terms still work.
• Getting to workCheck the location, transport and required equipment before you ask for a final yes.

Underheard asks about availability and follows the answer. A worker can explain a concern in 120+ languages, and Underheard switches language mid-call.

Ask for a clear yes after reviewing the details that decide whether someone can attend. An accepted offer from last week still needs a current availability check before the assignment starts.

• The workConfirm pay, role, shift hours and the date. Ask whether anything has changed since acceptance.
• The arrivalGive the entrance and site contact. Ask how the worker will travel and whether that plan is settled.
• The equipmentList required clothing and personal protective equipment. Resolve who supplies each item before confirming readiness.

In the Cedarvale example, Nolan’s reply opens a question about boots. Maya checks the requirement and speaks with him before confirming the shift. Underheard keeps that call and its answer with his earlier messages.

Keep checking after the first day. Underheard handles first-week check-ins and on-assignment messages, so your agency can hear about a problem before the next shift.

Stop waiting when further delay leaves too little time to cover the shift. Set that point before outreach starts, and tell candidates when you need their answer. There is no single waiting period that fits every assignment.

At the cutoff, notify your client and contact workers available for the opening. Record the attempts and leave the reason as unknown if nobody answered. If the original candidate replies later, check whether the place is still open before offering it again.

Use the answer to plan the next contact. Someone who accepted other work can give you a future availability date. For shift preparation, see how to stop no-shows.

Start with the shift hours your agency actually lost. Multiply unfilled billable hours by your contribution margin per hour. Add extra recruiter hours multiplied by the loaded hourly cost of that time.

• Lost shift marginUnfilled billable hours × contribution margin per hour. Use margin after direct worker costs.
• Extra recruiter timeAdditional hours spent chasing or arranging cover × loaded recruiter cost per hour.
• Replacement coverExclude hours a replacement worked from lost hours. Count any extra cover cost once.

Use your own payroll, billing and contact records. Track added overtime or client credits separately, then check that the same loss has not entered two parts of your total.

Track replies, confirmed assignments and actual arrivals as separate counts. A yes to hearing about work differs from a yes to a specific shift. Check arrival with the site before marking attendance.

• At your cutoffCount contacted candidates, replies, explicit confirmations and unresolved questions for the assignment.
• After the shiftRecord arrivals, replacement cover and unfilled billable hours against the same job order.
• Across similar shiftsCompare the same clients, lead times and shift types. Include recruiter time spent on follow-up.

Keep these definitions steady as you change your follow-up. You can then see whether faster answers gave your team more time to resolve problems and fill the openings.