Know Your Ghoster
While all professional ghosters share some common attributes, there are some differences you should be aware of if you encounter one between 9 to 5. In order to best know how to handle your business banshee, we at BustGhosters put together a list of the most common, specialized specters.
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![The Casper]()
Casper - The Friendly Ghoster
Often found at trade shows and mixers, The Casper seems eager to connect—but that friendly fist bump will only lead to their digital newsletter, not a real relationship.
Traits Include:
Inspirational Quote in Signature
Speaks in Platitudes
Name Dropper
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![Cute animated ghost character with big eyes, blushing cheeks, and a small smile against a purple background.]()
Six Sense - "I CC Dead People”
A rare case where the ghosted becomes the ghoster. Being a Six Sense isn’t fatal—just a reminder to treat your ghosters as you wish to be treated.
Traits Include:
Oblivious
Self-Absorbed
Haunted by Haley Joel Osment
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![Cartoon ghost with large glossy eyes, small mouth, pink cheeks, standing against an orange background.]()
The Zombie
Looks human enough at first, but soon drains your time and energy with endless asks and delayed replies—if they reply at all.
Traits Include:
Taking Undeserved Credit
Requests Free Work
No Brains
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![Animated white ghost character with large black eyes, pink blush on cheeks, and a small smile, set against a purple background.]()
The Cool Ghoul
When you reach out cold, this ghoster turns colder—unable (or unwilling) to utter a simple “no thanks” or “not interested.” The more you try, the icier they get.
Traits Include:
Self-Important
Forever OOO
Frosty Disposition
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![A cute cartoon ghost with big black eyes, a small orange mouth, and pink cheeks, standing against an orange background.]()
Ghoster of Business Past
You once called them a colleague, maybe even a mentor. Now they ignore your check-ins but post daily on LinkedIn. Don’t be fooled—they’re dead to you.
Traits Include:
Selfishness
Bad with Names
Too Many Hashtags
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![A cartoon ghost with large black eyes, pink cheeks, and a small smile, against a purple background.]()
The Silent But Deadly
This ghost hasn’t replied because—brace yourself—they actually died three months ago. Out of respect, please refrain from further follow-ups.
Traits Include:
Angry Response from Widow
Obituary
GoFundMe Donation Request
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![Animated cute ghost figure with big black eyes, small pink cheeks, and a simple mouth, standing against a warm orange background.]()
THE RFP Reaper
This entity sends out RFPs with absurd deadlines, dismal budgets, and buzzwords galore. Once they’ve harvested your brain, they vanish into the great beyond of “internal discussions.”
Traits Include:
Idea Theft
Perpetually Stuck in a Meeting
Answering Questions with Questions
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![Cartoon illustration of a cute, smiling ghost with big eyes, blushing cheeks, and a small mouth, set against a purple background.]()
The Slymer
They ooze into your inbox promising steady work after a “quick trial.” You deliver, they disappear, and you realize the only thing they ever meant to test was your patience. You’ve been slymed.
Traits Include:
False Promises
Disingenuous Charm
Sticky Trail of Excuses
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![A cute, white, ghost-shaped figure with large, shiny black eyes and small pink cheeks, set against an orange background.]()
The Vanishing Payment
They’re fully present during production, offering vague feedback and endless revisions—then vanish when payment is due. Their haunting phrase: “The check is in the mail.”
Traits Include:
No Accountability
No Accounting Department
Multiple LLCs
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![A cute, cartoon ghost with a smiling face, blushing cheeks, large black eyes, set against a purple gradient background.]()
The Hire-ditary
A rare but devastating specter that haunts HR professionals. They charm their way through the interview, accept the job, and vanish before day one—leaving the hiring manager to clean up the mess
Traits Include:
Burning Bridges
Blinding Obliviousness
Memento Level Amnesia
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![Cute animated ghost with big eyes and blush on cheeks, set against a purple background.]()
The Phantom Thread
Everything’s going great—the conversation is flowing, ideas are flying, the memes are mutual. Then suddenly... nothing. Your lively chat turns into an empty void.
Traits Include:
Mid-Sentence Fadeout
Leaves You On “Seen”
Strong Starter, Weak Finisher
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![A small, cartoonish ghost figure with large, shiny eyes, pink cheeks, and a tiny mouth, standing against a warm orange background.]()
The Gen Zpecter
Hyper-online but impossible to pin down. They’re in every Slack, every shared doc, every vibe check—until actual work appears. Then they vanish in a puff of mango-vape smoke.
Traits Include:
Aversion To Meetings and Dairy
Expert at explaining what “6 7” means
Always Soft-Launching Next Project
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![A cute, white, cartoon-style ghost with big black eyes and a small straight mouth, set against a warm orange background.]()
The Inhumane Resource
Hired as part of the “people team” but trained to avoid them. Too afraid to send a simple no, they disappear behind policy, process, and legal. In trying to protect the brand, they quietly poison it.
Traits Include:
AI Powered Empathy
Allergic To Transparency
Confuses Humans With Resumes
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![A cute cartoon ghost with a smiling face, pink cheeks, and big black eyes, set against a purple background.]()
Wraith of Time
This ghoster has no concept of timely manner. They ignore your messages for weeks, yet somehow expect an instant reply when it suits them. Your time is expendable. Theirs is sacred.
Traits Include:
Perpetually “Circling Back”
Chronically Last-Minute
Selectively Time-Blind
