Ensuring your first choice candidates accept your job offers in 2017 will be a challenge for most UK businesses. Skills shortages remain the number one concern according to the annual CBI/Pertemps Trends Survey and candidates with scarce skills will be bombarded by offers from hiring teams eager to secure their skills.
If you’re experiencing more job offer rejections than acceptances, here are the most common reasons why - and what you can do about it:-
Salary : Indeed’s Salary Checker tool provides an instant check on the average salary for your vacancy but be prepared to go above the market rate in sectors where talent is in short supply. Following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, employee perks such as mobile phones, company cars. workplace gym memberships and health checks will no longer be tax free. Culture, online reviews, career development opportunities, on the job training and remote or flexible working will influence your candidate's final decision on whether or not to accept your job offer.
Poor interview experience : A negative interview experience that bears little or no resemblance to the job description or your brand message means your candidate is likely to reject your job offer. High achievers will be on the receiving end of numerous offers. Convincing them to accept yours requires a flawless interview process. A negative candidate experience, slow responses to enquiries, a bored, distracted, or untrained interviewer will result in a rejected job offer or no response at all. Just over 40% of hiring managers have had no interview training or are not good interviewers. Recruitment metrics will provide insight into the problem areas in your hiring process.
Lack of job security : Job security is the biggest concern for today’s jobseekers according to a new study from Indeed. Today’s applicants are three times more likely to be motivated to accept a job that offers security than they are by salary. The good news for SMEs is that small businesses perform better than the larger organisations when it comes to job security.
Candidate accepted a counter offer : As employers seek to retain their top performers, 2017 may see a rise in the number of counter offers. Cover the prospect of the counter offer early in the recruitment process and clarify your candidate’s reasons for applying for your vacancy. If they accept a counter offer and this is a candidate you were keen to hire, ask permission to stay in touch with updates through your talent pool. The majority of candidates who accept a counter offer are back on the jobs market within six months because the underlying reasons for their original search can't be resolved with a pay rise.
Location, location, location : Location was ranked second on Indeed’s survey into what job seekers want. In theory, that one hour commute might have seemed doable but in reality your candidate decided in favour of work/life balance. Offer flexible or remote working options to offset the long commute or for jobs which require relocation.
You met a job hoarder : Two thirds of today’s jobseekers will happily accept a job offer and continue their job search. If your job offer was initially accepted then turned down, the chances are you just encountered a job hoarder. 1,000 graduates alone turned down job offers at the last minute in 2015. During the interview process, try and clarify other positions that your candidate is considering. You don’t want to become embroiled in a bidding war for talent. A candidate who accepts a job offer solely on the basis of salary will eventually leave your business for the same reason. If your recruitment metrics show a recurring pattern in job offer rejections, carry out a market review on salaries or incorporate a formal candidate feedback strategy into your hiring process.
You took too long : Keeping candidates waiting after their final interview suggests you’re not serious about talent acquisition and reflects badly on your brand. If you’re procrastinating over your hiring decision, what does that say about your company leadership’s ability to take action when it matters? Reduce your decision making process by collaborating and rapid sharing of key information through your recruitment software and make that job offer within 24 hours.
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