Today, attracting candidates is harder than it used to. Understand why candidates reject job offers to lower the chances of being turned down.
It is not a secret that HR managers often struggle to find a perfect candidate to fill an empty spot in their company. After a lengthy hiring process, sometimes candidates choose to turn down the job offer. There are a lot of factors behind this decision. For instance, according to Jobstreet 2022–2023 hiring outlook, 4 in 5 candidates turned down a job offer because they accepted another job with a better benefit package.
This is not a surprising fact. A 2023 LinkedIn recruitment report predicted that the future of recruiting in Southeast Asia will be more favorable to candidates and employees for over the next five years. This means attracting candidates will be harder than it used to.
Examine some of the reasons why candidates may turn down your offer in order to decrease the probability of getting rejected.
5 Reasons Why Candidates Reject Your Job Offers
Understanding why candidates reject a job offer helps companies reevaluate their recruitment process. Here are some general reasons why rejection can happen in the first place.
Low Salary
The first reason why candidates reject a job offer is because they feel the salary doesn’t meet their expectations. Especially if their previous job has paid them a higher sum than your offer. People work to make a living—when candidates feel like the salary doesn’t match their skill or the job responsibility, they will likely reject the offer.
To prevent this, as a recruiter you need to know the market rate for the offered position. Make sure the amount your company has offered is competitive. Furthermore, it’s important to be transparent about the salary ranges. Don’t flat out reject candidates when they negotiate.
No Sense of Values
The social awareness rate of the general public has increased over the last ten years, especially the younger generation. As a result, job seekers expect companies to have a positive organizational culture. According to Michael Page Indonesia, one in three men in Asia Pacific stated that a lack of clear diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) commitment from a potential employer would stop them from pursuing an interview with that company.
In this digital age, it’s easy for candidates to find out how a DE&I policy in a company is done. When a candidate rejects your job offer, evaluating your company’s DE&I policy might be worth your time. Not only will it attract new candidates, it can also lower your company’s turnover rate.
Lack of Flexibility
The pandemic has popularized hybrid-working, and this working style will remain in trend. Michaela Schütt, the Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Siemens, told LinkedIn that good pay, balance, and flexibility are essential in today’s job market. Those are no longer benefits—job seekers expect companies to provide them.
However, there are some job positions that cannot be done remotely like retail workers or on-site assistants. If this is the case, make sure to offer another form of compensation in exchange for the lack of flexibility.
Negative Interview Experience
Companies are not the ones making decisions in job interviews—candidates do too. Donald Knight, the Greenhouse’s chief people officer, stated in a release that candidates find out the reality of what a company prioritizes and values early in the interviewing process. For instance, if candidates feel like they are being disrespected during an interview, they will likely reject the job offer later on.
The hiring process reveals the employer brand, Greenhouse continued, including the interview process. It is crucial to have an interview session that is structured, honest, and professional. When you respect your potential candidates, not only will they feel comfortable, it also affects your employer brand positively.
No Sense of Accomplishment
A lot of people have a clear vision of what they want to achieve through a position. Whether it is to climb into a higher position, or simply build new skills and experiences—when the job offer cannot help them to achieve a certain goal, candidates will reject the offer.
Through interviews, candidates will find out whether or not they have a good career growth opportunity with your company. As a recruiter, offering benefits beyond the basic reward of the positions may appeal more. For instance, providing help to get an additional certification will gain their interest.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes there are things that are beyond the recruiter’s reach. For example, the candidates may already find a better offer from other companies. Perhaps after learning more about your company, some candidates are simply not interested in your company. Whatever the reason is, just make sure to handle the job rejection professionally.
Next read: 7 Must-have Qualities to be a Successful Recruiter
