What to do When Your Ideal Candidate Rejects Your Job Offer

What to do When Your Ideal Candidate Rejects Your Job Offer

You’ve invested time and effort into sourcing, screening, and selecting the perfect candidate for your role. You’ve envisioned them as part of the team, bringing their expertise to help drive your organisation forward.

But then comes the shock: they reject your job offer.

It’s a moment that can leave you frustrated and questioning your hiring strategy. However, rejection isn’t the end – it’s an opportunity to learn, improve, and keep the door open for future engagement.

Here’s our advice on what to do when faced with rejection from candidates…

1. Stay Professional

The initial feeling of disappointment is natural. You’ve likely invested a significant amount of energy into the hiring process, and a rejection can feel like a personal setback. However, it’s important to remain professional and level-headed, as reacting poorly could damage your employer brand and hinder future engagement with the candidate.

Even when you feel that the rejection is unwarranted or unexpected, take a step back, take a deep breath, and avoid sending a hasty or emotional response. Maintaining a professional and positive demeanour not only leaves the candidate with a favourable impression, but also speaks volumes about your company’s culture and values.

2. Seek Constructive Feedback

One of the best actions you can take after a rejection is to understand why the candidate made their decision, yet 78% of candidates report never being asked for feedback following the hiring process. If you haven’t already, reach out and request feedback in a polite and open-ended manner. The goal is not to challenge their decision but to understand their motivations, so make it clear that you genuinely want to learn from the experience. You might ask questions like:

• Was there something specific about the offer that didn’t meet your expectations?
• Are there any aspects of the role or company that made you hesitant to accept?
• What factors influenced your decision?

Not every candidate will feel comfortable sharing their reasons, but those who do can provide invaluable insights. Perhaps your compensation package wasn’t competitive enough, or maybe your benefits didn’t align with their needs. It could even be a matter of timing or another opportunity that better matched their career aspirations. Use this feedback to identify gaps in your hiring process and improve your future offers.

3. Analyse and Reflect on the Process

Once you’ve gathered feedback, reflect on the entire hiring process. Did something happen during the interview that may have turned the candidate away? Was the process too lengthy or overly complicated? Analysing the recruitment journey from the candidate’s perspective will help you identify areas for improvement. Consider these common pain points:

• Communication Delays: Was there a delay in communicating your decision to the candidate? Candidates often perceive a slow hiring process as a lack of interest.
• Misalignment of Expectations: Did the candidate’s expectations about the role, responsibilities, or growth opportunities align with what was communicated during the hiring process?
• Salary and Benefits: Was your compensation package competitive within the life sciences industry? Top talent is always in high demand, and candidates may decline if they receive more attractive offers.

Conducting this analysis will help you address the areas that might be falling short.

4. Build a Relationship for the Future

 Just because a candidate rejects your offer doesn’t mean the connection has to end there. The life sciences industry is competitive, and top talent may receive multiple offers. Whilst your opportunity might not have been the best fit for them at the time, things could change in the future.

Let the candidate know that you respect their decision and would be open to staying in touch for future opportunities. Adding them to a talent pipeline or network will allow you to reach out if another suitable role arises. Sometimes, candidates who initially say no may reconsider your company when the timing is right or when circumstances change.

You could say something like:

“Thank you for letting us know your decision. While we’re disappointed that you won’t be joining us this time, we really appreciate getting to know you and are genuinely impressed with your experience. If your situation changes or if we have other opportunities that align with your skills, we’d love to stay in touch.”

This kind of response not only leaves the door open but also shows that you value the individual beyond the specific role.

5. Examine Your Offer

Sometimes the reason a candidate rejects your job offer comes down to the offer itself. Candidates in the life sciences sector are often highly skilled and in high demand. If your offer doesn’t match their expectations or what the market is offering, it’s no surprise that they’ll look elsewhere. Review the offer you extended, and ask yourself:

• Was it competitive compared to industry standards?
• Were the benefits aligned with what candidates are seeking?
• Did you clearly outline growth opportunities?
• Was the candidate made aware of all of the benefits of joining?
• Did you show flexibility in the offer?

Make sure you’re also communicating the less tangible benefits of joining your company, including your culture, mission, and any unique aspects that might attract top talent.

6. Maintain and Improve Your Employer Branding

A rejected offer is also an opportunity to reflect on how your company is perceived. Employer branding plays a major role in attracting candidates, especially in an industry like life sciences where the demand for specialised skills is high.

Ask yourself:

• What does the candidate experience say about my company? Am I providing a smooth and positive journey from initial contact to the final offer?
• Am I effectively communicating my company’s mission and values?
• How visible and attractive is my company in the industry?

Enhancing your employer brand will help you attract qualified candidates and increase the likelihood that they’ll accept your offer. Showcase success stories, employee testimonials, and initiatives that make your company a great place to work. Getting candidates emotionally invested in your company early on can improve the chances of them accepting your offer.

7. Evaluate the Candidate Experience

The candidate experience plays a critical role in a candidate’s decision to accept or reject an offer, with 58% of candidates reporting having turned down a job offer because of a poor experience. A cumbersome, prolonged, or impersonal hiring process can lead to a candidate feeling disconnected and disinterested, even if they were initially excited about the role.

Re-evaluate your hiring process to identify potential bottlenecks or negative experiences. Consider the following:

• How many stages are there in your interview process?
• How responsive are you?
• How personalised is your approach?

Improving the candidate experience is key to increasing offer acceptance rates and will also reflect positively on your overall employer brand. It can also potentially save you thousands by avoiding making bad hires, as organisations that strongly invest in candidate experience see their average quality of hire improve by 70%.

8. Learn From Rejection and Move Forward

Rejections are a learning opportunity. If your ideal candidate rejected your job offer, ask yourself what could have been done differently and apply these lessons moving forward. Create a feedback loop for your hiring team. Discuss what went well and what could be improved for future offers. Were there any red flags you missed during the interview process that indicated the candidate was leaning towards a different opportunity?

Stay informed about industry trends and salary benchmarks. The life sciences industry is constantly evolving, and understanding what candidates are looking for – from flexible work environments to competitive compensation – can help you adjust your approach.

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