Candidates are the backbone to an organization’s success, a cornerstone to the longevity span in terms of footprints and brand image. A good hire is of a premium and comes at a cost, arising from an elaborate hiring process. The last thing any recruitment team would want, after going through the rigmarole of the recruitment stages, is the perfect candidate rejecting the job offer.

In a candidate driven recruitment market, skilled candidates are spoilt for choices and have the liberty to choose a role which commensurates with their goals. Gone are the days when the employers used to rule the roost in the hiring space. Now, in this scenario, it’s not uncommon to see job offers being spurned but it becomes a sore point if it turns out to be a regularity.

The following are few of the main reasons for the candidates not accepting your job offer:

•    The time to hire is the most important parameter an HR or a recruitment agency is measured on. A lengthy hiring process is a deal breaker as it’s quite unlikely that a skilled candidate, having multiple offers will risk holding up another offer for you just because of a lengthy hiring process. Even a poor onboarding process can lead to low retention levels.
•    As much as a company would want to have a candidate with the right hard and soft skillset, similarly a candidate by accepting a job offer is agreeing to join the company’s culture and setting a base to forge a professional relationship. If they don’t sense the commonality in vision or culture, they prefer bailing out.
•    Remuneration is another aspect which could elongate a hiring process and can be a potential roadblock in getting a skilled candidate on board. It’s therefore imperative to start off with an attractive salary package and having the flexibility when negotiating with a highly skilled workforce.
•    The first impression rule applies to the hiring team as well. During the interview process, a candidate assesses the hiring team as much, if not less, to understand the company’s vision and ethics; after all, they will be in it together on a journey of self-realization. Any wrong impression from the hiring team can leave a really bad taste in the candidate’s mouth eventually resulting in the severance of a prospective relationship.

Investing in a good candidate is akin to laying a foundation of a strong relationship, therefore any indication of a crack in it should be immediately dealt with. The skills of a perfect candidate are worth its weight in gold, bound to eventually have a say in a high return on candidate investment.