Why Candidates Don’t Accept Jobs & What to Do

As the ongoing pandemic looks to be fading, many employers have got used to the idea of a ‘new normal’ and, as things start to become more settled, a new fear also arises.

Despite unemployment in some countries, recruitment is more challenging than ever. There’s a great amount of uncertainty and people are nervous about change and returning to the office. Companies are also struggling to plan their workforce, and shifts in responsibilities are causing a labour shortage. Additionally, people who were once active in the employment market may now be staying at home to look after home-schooled children or sick elderly.

The increased difficulty of finding the right talent means you want to be sure that, when you find the ideal hire, they accept your job offer. Let’s take a look at the top 7 reasons why candidates turn job offers and examine what you can do about it.

#1. Your financial package isn’t appealing enough

Other things being equal, the salary you offer has to be better than what your competitors are offering. The idea of a salary that (might) increase over time isn’t the same as a package that not only impresses the candidate from the outset but makes them feel like their future potential is valued.

That said, not everything is about money. If there’s one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it’s that other elements of an employment package are important. Given recent events, health insurance and flexible hours will often be high on the list of priorities. Candidates also add into the mix other perks such as gym membership, wellbeing programs, student loan assistance and help with daycare.

#2. Your office culture isn’t right

A candidate might be employed by your company but they work with your team. Often on the Islands, it can be a small team, meaning that the ‘fit’ of every member is very important. As a company manager or executive, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the culture in the environment is one in which a new hire will thrive.

As we know, you need to have diversity in your office so you can take advantage of a greater range of skill sets and news ideas. This means that you should have a team composed of people from different backgrounds and often, different cultures. There is a challenge here, however: everyone needs to share the same work ethic and values. This is where ensuring anyone you bring on board will complement the current team members becomes vital.

#3. The job isn’t what they thought it would be

Ensuring this doesn’t happen begins with a clear job advert that doesn’t leave any room for confusion with regards to the role and its responsibilities. The interview also needs immense clarity with all of the necessary details discussed.

Remind the candidate that they are welcome to ask any questions and, if they have questions after the interview, make sure the channels are open for them to contact you personally. An interview is also a good time to confirm all of the key contract details so that there are no surprises later on.

#4. Your company has a poor image in the market

What people say about you online contributes to your employer brand. Before agreeing to an interview, candidates will research your company via their personal network. There’s not much you can do to influence the results of this.

However, they’ll also go straight to Google and search out reviews from past employees (for example, on sites such as Glassdoor) to discover more about what to expect when working for you. Negative reviews are a sure way to put candidates off. Having the right culture and taking care of your team is a good way to encourage positive reviews. You should also make sure that any employee who leaves does so in as positive a manner as possible to prevent poor reviews leaking online that damage your public image.

#5. Your recruiting process simply takes too long

You can’t afford to take too long to complete the recruitment process.

Ideally, decisions to progress strong candidates in the process should be made within days not weeks. Otherwise your competitors will come in with a better offer and/or an instant hire – and you’ll have lost them.

Very importantly, you must remain in regular contact with your candidates during the recruitment process. You need to keep them informed and engaged to keep things moving forward.

#6. You’ve lost your recruiting mojo

Let’s face it, recruiting can be a draining exercise. You meet everyone from the most amazing candidate in the world to characters where it really feels as though you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. You invest a lot of time, money and energy in this process and it has to go well.

Sometimes you’ll need to draw a deep breath and pick up the phone (or turn on your Zoom camera) before making the call. Whether you have to screen 5 candidates or 50 candidates, every interview needs to be carried out to the highest standard to get the best result.

#7. There’s no clear career trajectory

We’ve saved perhaps the most important one for last.

When considering a new role, regardless of the level, it is important that a candidate can see the opportunity to progress within the business. If they’re unable to picture themselves improving professionally with you, the best candidates will look elsewhere.

Be sure that you highlight any opportunities for progression, training and development during the interview process. This will showcase your investment in the position… and that there is an upward career path for the candidate to consider.

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