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Job offer rejections are on the rise in today's competitive job market. What can employers and hiring managers do to reduce this headache or avoid it altogether?
Kristin Hughes, Shelley Casino, and Ben Coan—three recruiting experts with Odyssey Information Services—participated in a LinkedIn Live webcast where they discussed hiring best practices to help organizations reduce job offer rejections, land top IT talent, and retain current employees.
Click the image below to watch the full video:
Tip #1: Discover Motivators for Each Candidate
Before diving into an interview, the talent acquisition team—everyone from the recruiter to the hiring manager—should take a few moments to understand what the candidate wants from your job opportunity.
What are the key issues with their current job situation? What’s motivating them to seek a new opportunity?
Knowing this information ensures the opportunity is a good match for both your organization and the candidate, helping you present a strong offer that will be hard to turn down.
Employers need to provide every candidate with a great interview experience. During conversations with candidates, focus less on ticking all the boxes in your job description and more on understanding each candidate as a person.
"If a hiring manager is talking to a candidate, they need to do more than just check boxes to see if the candidate has the right skills. They need to understand the candidate as a person. Managers and recruiters need to know what the candidates want. The more they understand the candidates’ motivators, the better they can present a compelling offer." —Shelley Casino, Director of Recruiting, Odyssey Information Services
Tip #2: Be Adaptive with Your Job Interview Process
Employers today don’t have the luxury of lengthy interview processes because IT professionals are in high demand and often receive multiple offers quickly.
If you require multiple rounds of interviews, candidates might accept another offer before they even complete your process. Adapting your interview process to meet market demands is crucial.
For instance, some of Odyssey’s clients have shortened their interview process from three rounds to just one to avoid losing quality candidates who receive other offers within days of scheduling an interview.
If you cannot shorten the process, set clear expectations with the candidate upfront. Let them know how long the process will take and ask if they’re willing to proceed. Honesty can make the difference between an accepted and rejected offer.
"Don’t be rigid in your process. Be adaptive. Some clients reduced their interview process from three rounds to one because candidates were getting multiple offers and leaving the market quickly. Our clients focused on speeding up their hiring process to secure top talent faster." —Ben Coan, Business Development Manager, Odyssey Information Services
Tip #3: Learn from Rejected Job Offers
Reacting negatively to a rejected offer is not productive. Instead, use it as an opportunity to understand what went wrong and improve your process.
Are offers being rejected because of compensation? Is the interview process too lengthy? Are the interviews not personalized to each candidate?
Communication with candidates and your talent acquisition team (or recruiting firm, if you’re partnering with one) is key to securing qualified individuals.
"Managers have moved past being upset about offer rejections. Now, it's about understanding how to improve. The only way to improve is by listening to interview feedback and understanding why qualified candidates are declining offers. Personalizing the interview process and avoiding a cookie-cutter approach can significantly reduce offer rejections." —Ben Coan, Business Development Manager, Odyssey Information Services
Tip #4: Get to Know Candidates on a Personal Level
Avoid a one-size-fits-all interview approach. Every candidate has unique reasons for being interested in your job opportunity and organization.
Use the first interview to truly understand the candidate on a personal level. Instead of focusing solely on job qualifications, ask them how they prefer to work or about their favorite projects and career goals.
Make the candidate feel confident that this job is the right fit for them, offering opportunities for growth and impact.
"I’ve seen candidates accept lower salaries compared to other offers because they felt they wouldn’t achieve their goals or grow at the other company. It’s important to show candidates how they can grow and make a difference at your company." —Kristin Hughes, Director of Recruiting, Odyssey Information Services
Tip #5: Relate to the Candidate
Employers need to provide a good candidate experience by sharing details about the company. Discuss your company’s culture, the position, and the team.
Share your personal story with the company. Explain how you started with the company, how it promotes from within, and what you enjoy about working there.
Every company is seeking the same skill sets. Creating a personalized interview experience will help your company stand out and increase the likelihood that the candidate will accept your offer.
"Many employers focus too much on finding the right skilled candidate and forget to sell their opportunity. Remember, candidates are also interviewing the company to decide if they want to work there. Employers need to put their best foot forward and explain why their company is a great place to work." —Shelley Casino, Director of Recruiting, Odyssey Information Services
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