In this blog, we’ve explored the different reasons candidates may have turned down your Gloucestershire job vacancies, and how you can turn this around for a positive future of hiring!

As an employer, there are few things more disappointing than your ideal candidate turning down a job offer.

Not only does it mean that you’ve lost out on great talent and someone who could be a brilliant asset to your team, but it also means that, unless you had other interested candidates in the pipeline, you might have to start the recruitment process over again.

One of the best ways to prevent this happening in the future is by understanding why exactly the candidate turned down your offer, and by making positive changes to turn things around.

Read on to discover the possible reasons that your candidates are turning down your Gloucestershire job vacancies…

Eight of the most quoted reasons that candidates turn down a job offer are:

1. Flexible working is unavailable

“Flexible working” has become a huge buzzword in the recruitment world since the pandemic. In fact, research by Microsoft found that two thirds of staff want flexible working to remain for the long term!

It therefore comes as no real surprise that a quarter of the UK’s workforce have turned down jobs for not offering flexible working opportunities.

Similarly, other research has found that companies that require their employees to work in the office could lose out on 70% of candidates.

So, if flexible working isn’t part of the contract, the chances are that your ideal candidate might walk away.

2. Negative reviews/employer reputation

Researching a company is one of the main ways that candidates will prepare for job interviews; and with the vast array of information readily available on the internet, the likelihood is that, somewhere along the way, your candidates might stumble across reviews of your business.

Candidates may well also hear feedback through word of mouth, if your business is well-known enough – and word of mouth is one of the most powerful influencers out there.

Unfortunately, one negative review can quickly topple a tower of good ones, and can have implications for your employer branding. As a result, a candidate might decide that working for your company isn’t for them.

3. Better offers elsewhere

We are living in an increasingly candidate-led market, which means that the competition for good candidates is much tougher than before.

What’s more, it’s highly likely that that the candidate you’re planning to offer the role to will be applying for other roles at the same time, and may therefore receive other offers in the interim.

Unfortunately, if one of those offers is better suited to them (for example, higher pay, better perks and so on), your opportunity will fall to the wayside.

4. The interview did not reflect the job advertised

Job advertisements are the first thing a candidate will have seen to attract them to your company, and will also have been one of the crucial factors in them deciding to apply.

So, if the job sounds different to what they expected during the interview, it’s highly likely that they’ll turn down your offer.

5. An uncompetitive salary

We touched on uncompetitive salary in point three, but this can be a real dealbreaker. Candidates will likely have looked around for typical salary benchmarks for the roles they’re applying for, and in the industry that those roles are in.

If they feel that a “competitive salary” offered to them is not a true reflection of their skills and worth, or what their contemporaries are earning, they will be highly likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

6. Limited career development opportunities

Your candidate may ask what career development opportunities they can expect from working with your company during the interview.

We are currently in the midst of “The Great Resignation,” with one of the reasons for people leaving their roles being due to lack of career progression opportunities.

So, it stands to reason that, if there is little or no room for progression from the role your candidate has applied for, they’ll be likely to turn it down.

7. An incompatible company culture

Finding a company with a good cultural fit has become increasingly important for the modern-day candidate.

From your dress code and office layout all the way through to working hours, office atmosphere and social events, candidates want to know that they are going to fit in and feel comfortable in their role. After all, it’s where they’re going to be spending a significant amount of their time!

So, if a candidate feels after an interview (and perhaps a tour around the office) that the company culture isn’t suited to them, they may decline your offer.

8. An unsatisfactory candidate journey

You might have the most exciting job in the world on offer – but if a candidate’s experience of the recruitment process leaves them wanting, frustrated or disappointed, they will be likely to decline it.

In fact, CareerPlug’s research found that 58% of job seekers had declined a job offer due to a poor candidate experience!

Just some examples of what might lead to a negative candidate experience include the following:

• The overall recruitment process taking too long.
• The application process being difficult/time-consuming.
• An uncomfortable interview experience; for example, difficult or irrelevant questions, unprepared interviewers, an inhuman/impersonal approach, and so on (according to Lever, 83% of candidates said that a negative interview experience could change their mind about a role or company they previously liked).

The candidate journey is something that, as a recruitment agency, we take great pride in at i2i Recruitment; the onboarding process starts from the first time we talk to a candidate, and continues all the way through to a potential start date to ensure they have only the very best experience.

How can you turn this around?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to candidates declining your Gloucestershire job vacancies (among others), and it’s important to remember that every candidate is unique, with their own goals, desires and needs.

However, in light of the above, there are a few things you can try, such as:

• introducing flexible working if it isn’t part of your business
• building up your employer branding and reputation
• being open to negotiation on salary, and regularly reviewing your benefits packages
• ensuring that regular training and career progression opportunities are embedded in your company culture
• ensuring your job advertisements are as transparent and honest as possible
• getting feedback from your current employees on their views of the company culture, including what they love and what they think could be improved
• focusing on the candidate journey, and how to make their experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible

… and by teaming up with an experienced recruitment agency like i2i Recruitment, you can easily achieve all these things and more!

Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements, and we’ll be ready to begin the search for your perfect candidate – and one who will be ready to say a resounding “Yes!” to your job offer!