Turning HR Tricks into Treats this Spooky Season
By: Jordanna Brody
Happy spooky season!
But just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you need to get the HR scaries. I’ve found the top three scariest HR topics, and will show you how to turn them from tricks to treats.
Candidates Who Ghost 👻
It may surprise you to know that many jobseekers think it’s reasonable to ghost a recruiter or hiring team. According to the 2026 SHRM Talent Trends Report, 40% of HR professionals surveyed stated one of their top three hiring challenges was an increase in candidate “ghosting.”
While ghosting is inevitable in today’s hiring climate, employers can lower the risk of being ghosted by ensuring communication is clear and expectations are managed on all ends. Communicate often, let candidates know where they stand and if there are delays in decision making. Give them the opportunity to stay connected, so they don’t feel like disappearing is their best option.
🍬Turn candidates who ghost from a trick into a treat by using it as an opportunity to improve communication expectations during the hiring process. Commit to weekly or biweekly comms for active candidates.
Frightful Performance Reviews 👹
Many performance reviews are full of vague statements and people feel they are a waste of time for employees and managers alike. The problem doesn’t lie in the idea of a performance review, but in the way that managers and employees approach them. Everyone knows they’ll have a review at some point each year, yet when the time comes, they have hazy memories of their performance and anxiety building as the meeting approaches.
If managers took the time to meet with employees more regularly, taking note of their development and challenges along the way, everyone would have clear examples to turn back to, rather than relying on their memory when review season approaches. Meeting more frequently, with consistent reinforcement of expectations through public channels like email or shared meeting notes, turns the annual review into more of a recap of everything you’ve discussed along the way, rather than a surprise influx of feedback that both parties agonized over assembling.
🍬Turn performance reviews from an HR trick into a treat by encouraging supervisors to meet with employees regularly, providing transparent and documented feedback, and reinforcing expectations throughout the year, not just at the review.
Open Enrollment
We know it’s coming every year, yet somehow open enrollment always sneaks up on employers and employees alike and turns benefits enrollment into a slog. Three of the reasons this happens are: confusing language, the sheer amount of numbers shown in the materials, and a lack of knowledge of who to go to for questions.
According to a 2025 MetLife employee benefits trends study, “only 57% of employees fully understand what their benefits cover, and 72% want their employer to provide benefits communications that are tailored to their individual needs.”
Most open enrollment stress comes from lack of clear explanation of benefits, industry terms and numbers overwhelming them, and confusion around who to ask for help during the process. This leads to last minute decision making out of procrastination or frustration at the barrier to understanding the plans.
🍬Turn open enrollment from a trick into a treat by ensuring employees have access to materials that explain their options clearly as early as possible. Whether it’s a slideshow or one pager, it can go a long way in making employees feel more comfortable selecting plans. Also make sure employees know who to direct their questions to so no one is left on their own to make the decision.
What everything boils down to in the end is communication and transparency. With clear communication expectations, candidates are less likely to ghost (though it’s still inevitable in 2026). With more consistent and transparent communication, performance reviews become simple, and open enrollment is a breeze.
