The Perfect Candidate Declined Your Job Offer…Now What?

Finally! You’ve met the perfect candidate for your open position after exhausting months of back to back interviews. They have the proper amount of experience, exceptional characteristics, and they fit right in with the rest of the team. It’s a no brainer that you are going to extend a job offer. But to your surprise, the candidate declined. Confused, hurt, and defeated, how does your team move on from here?

The first step is to re-evaluate your company’s hiring process. Look out for these red flags in your hiring method that may cause another candidate to decline your job offer in the future.

Too Many Interviews

Do you really need the candidate to come back a third, fourth, or fifth time to your office? Remember, most candidates are actively job searching and are going on many interviews. Your company may be requiring three interviews while other companies may extend an offer after one. The best candidates are gone quickly, so try to shorten your process if possible.

Rushed Interview

Did you walk into the interview late? Was the applicant in and out in ten minutes? The candidate wants to learn about you as much as you want to learn about them. We understand you’re extremely busy, but it’s important to dedicate time to the interview process. Don’t make the applicants feel like a burden. No one wants to work for a company that didn’t take the time to answer their questions.

Asked Illegal/Inappropriate Questions

There are numerous questions you are not allowed to ask applicants during an interview. If the candidate feels at all discriminated against or uncomfortable, they’ll be less likely to move forward with your company. Prepare your interview questions carefully.

Offer Took Too Long

As humans, we all want to feel wanted. If the candidate feels the interview(s) went great and they loved your company overall, they want to feel the love back. Days or weeks later without a job offer, they will assume that your company isn’t interested and move on. You cannot expect the candidate to wait while your team has meeting after meeting trying to come up with the final offer. Have most of this work done before you start interviewing to avoid this lull in the process.

Poor Benefits/Compensation

Your hiring process could be great, but your company’s salary and benefits may not be attractive. If the candidate has received multiple offers, they’ll probably go with the offer that has higher pay, better benefits, a shorter commute, or a more flexible schedule. Try to stay as competitive as possible and make note of what your competition is offering so that next time, your business has the upper hand.

When your top choice candidate declines your offer, do not take it personally. If you take too long to dwell on the fact that you lost your first choice, you’re increasing the chances of losing your second and third choices as well.

If you’re tired of losing the best candidates when your company is looking to hire new employees, let Key Resource Group share our recruiting expertise with you. We can help streamline the hiring process, so that next time you can get that first candidate to accept your job offer.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email