The job search process is a mess, pretty much any way you slice it, and among the most frustrating parts is the constant ghosting that happens after job interviews.

A new study revealed the main reasons behind this -- which are sadly not all that surprising. But it also revealed the top things hiring managers say matter most to them during job interviews. Focusing on them might just be the key to sticking out in decision-makers' minds.

The study was conducted by Wrike, a cloud-based project management software company whose products are used in many industries, including recruiting and HR.

To get to the bottom of why there's so much ghosting going on in the job market, they conducted a survey of more than 1,000 active job seekers and more than 500 hiring decision-makers. They also analyzed social media content from thought leaders in these spaces to get a sense of what's going on.

They found that more than 25% of the hiring managers reported having ghosted someone during the interview process (which probably sounds really low or really high, depending on your experience). But the main reasons they found for doing so were deceptively simple.

For nearly half, it came down to unprofessional behavior from the candidate, including in their cover letter or application emails, or, for 40%, simply finding a better candidate and moving on.

But it's the number-three reason where the rubber meets the road: For 38% of hiring managers, they ended up ghosting because they simply didn't have time to respond.

That probably sounds like garden-variety rudeness, but many have sounded alarms about how, since the multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years hit HR and recruiting industries too, recruiting teams are now often reduced to skeleton crews who are bombarded with applications they simply don't have the bandwidth to properly manage.

So basically, we're in a situation where, right or wrong, recruiting and hiring professionals are spread so thin that if you haven't made yourself stick in their minds, they often don't have time to do any more than ignore you and keep it pushin'.

What do you do, then, to embed yourself in their brains and stand out from the heaps of other candidates with similar qualifications? Wrike's data revealed that it often comes down to candidates asking questions targeted to five key topics.

Wrike found that 58% of hiring managers said the number-one thing they look for in candidates (besides qualifications to do the job, of course!) is a growth mindset, especially at larger companies.

This means asking questions that pertain both to your own growth and ascendance up the ladder, and how you can contribute to the team or company's growth as well. Even if all you want is a paycheck and you have to fake it, showing that growth is a priority for both you and the company can put you a step ahead of the others.

This was especially important to smaller companies and start-ups, Wrike found. Just over half, 52%, of hiring managers said their ears perk up when a candidate seems invested in what the company stands for and the goals its leadership is trying to achieve.

This is closely related to number one, of course, but it is more about the mission than climbing the ranks. Again, showing that this would be more than just a job to you (even if that's not true!) can have a huge impact and make you memorable when it comes to decision time.

This is all about asking those dreaded jargon-heavy questions like "What are the KPIs for this role?" and "What milestones are you looking for me to hit in the first 90 days?"

It shows that you're engaged with the nitty-gritty details of the job and invested in wider goals rather than just getting the job done, and this focus finished a close third on the list of priorities for hiring managers at 48%.

Companies may be performatively removing their DEI initiatives as we move into a less touchy-feely era culturally and politically, but issues surrounding cultural fit are still top of mind for business leaders according to Wrike's data.

Forty-four percent of hiring managers said candidates who show interest in and commitment to the company's cultural values tend to stand out to them in interviews, and unsurprisingly this was particularly important to female decision makers Wrike spoke with.

This is a no-brainer -- 38% of hiring managers said they're watching in your interview for signs that you'll meld well with the team and be a valuable collaborator, so asking about group dynamics and how teams are organized are a great way to show you're invested in this too.

It's tough out there in the job market; there's no doubt about that. But understanding what matters most to hiring managers can give candidates a leg up, making them stand out from the rest -- and hopefully avoid the dreaded ghosting.