How Managers Can Get Candidates To Stop Turning Down Job Offers

Managers need to understand why candidates are turning job offers down
Managers need to understand why candidates are turning job offers down
Image Credit: Amtec Photos

As a manager, one of the most important things that we are tasked with doing is using our manager skills to make sure that our teams are fully staffed. In order to do this, we have to perform a set of tasks: interview candidates, select the ones that best meet our needs, make an offer, hope that they accept the offer, and then onboard them. However, this whole process can fall apart if the candidate that we’ve selected turns our offer down. It turns out that roughly half of the candidates that have been offered a job have turned it down because they had a negative experience during the hiring process. How can you create an inclusive and welcoming first impression?


Carefully Set Expectations

When you are interviewing a candidate, you need to understand that they will come with expectations about the process. We need to understand that this will define their candidate experience. As a manger, your manager training should have taught you that you have the responsibility to clearly define what will happen in each stage of the journey, from how long the application will take up front to detailing whom candidates will speak to during interviews. It is also your responsibility to communicate how long the hiring decision will take. By doing this, you will communicate your commitment to transparency and leave your candidate feeling confident about what they can expect.


During The Process Communicate Early And Often

It turns out that communication is the key to successfully hiring the right candidates. Recently studies have been done that show that the number one frustration during the overall job search is the lack of response from employers. Most us probably know what this is like. It has been reported that 75 percent of applicants never hear back from employers. What this means for you as a manager is that sending prompt and timely follow-ups goes a long way. Keep in mind that if the volume of these follow-ups is making you hesitate, this is where technology can help. What you’d really like to do for a face-to-face interview is to give a candidate feedback within 48 hours. When you do this, you must try to be as consistent and clear as possible while folks are at every stage of the process. This is almost an early form of team building. Understand that any update is better than a void of silence.


Try to Use Automation Without Losing The Human Connection.

In the modern age in which we are living, technology should and will always drive recruiting; however, it’s important to remember that candidates want direct human interaction. We need to understand the type of technology that your candidates will resonate with. As an example, many firms have tested a hypothesis to see if following up with candidates via text instead of emailing them for feedback on their interview process would increase response rates. What they learned was that the volume of responses to the mobile surveys outnumbered those from email considerably, indicating an improved follow-up experience for candidates. These firms were able to gain better insights from more open-ended comments.


Always Lead With Empathy

Managers need to remember that small acts of kindness go a long way. No matter if it’s sending over a few articles pertaining to questions or concerns a candidate had or rescheduling face-to-face interviews to work around a school holiday. We need to recognize that life happens and leading with empathy no matter what the situation is will build trust right off the bat and prove that the candidate is more than just a number at your company.

Always remember that choosing an employer is a personal decision. For today’s job candidates it’s no longer about where you’ll spend your 9-to-5, it’s about finding an employer that will help you grow personally and professionally. Keep in mind that talented and accomplished individuals have options. Understand that the decision is just as personal for the hiring manager. If you can take the time to create a remarkable journey for candidates, they should be confident in knowing that they did everything to make the experience a positive one.


What All Of This Means For You

Managers are the ones who are responsible for making sure that their teams are fully staffed. However, it turns out that we may not have been doing all that good of a job at doing this. Studies have shown that all too often that after we’ve selected the person that we want to have join our team, they’ll end up turning our job offer down. What can we do to get them to accept our offer?

A critical part of getting someone to accept a job offer that you’ve made is to make sure that you have properly set their expectations. They need to know what will happen and when. Communication is a key to successfully wooing a job candidate. This means that as a manager you need to take the time to communicate with a candidate both early and often. Every company’s hiring process uses some form of automation. Make sure that you don’t lose the human touch when you automate parts of the process. You want the candidate to think highly of both you and your company. Make sure that you show them empathy during the hiring process.

Keeping our teams fully staffed and productive is a key skill of a manager. When our team has an opening, we need to move quickly to fill it. What this means is that we would like to move through the hiring process as quickly as possible. When we make an offer to a candidate, we’d like them to accept it. If we have not managed the hiring process correctly, they may end up turning us down. Follow these suggestions and you’ll be able to manage your hiring process better. Make each of your offers successful by having a better understanding of your candidates.


– Dr. Jim Anderson Blue Elephant Consulting –
Your Source For Real World IT Management Skills™


Question For You: Do you think that you should contact a candidate before they come in for a face-to-face interview?


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