Keep In Touch With Candidates: The Crucial Recruitment Step You Might Be Missing!

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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Risk of candidates not starting: This can happen due to counteroffers from their current employer, better job offers from other companies, or anxiety and doubt during their notice period.</li>
<li>Maintain contact for early warning: Regular communication with the candidate can provide early warning signs they are reconsidering their decision. It allows for proactive measures to ensure they remain committed.</li>
<li>Communicate frequently: After a job offer is accepted, initial formalities like contract agreements exist. But as these necessities diminish, finding other reasons to keep in touch is important. Lots of ideas were suggested.</li>
<li>Overall, you need consistent and meaningful engagement with hired candidates to ensure a smooth transition into their new job and avoid the costly and time-consuming process of restarting the recruitment process.</li>
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Congratulations if you’ve made a job offer that has been accepted! If my advice has helped, please let me know, I’d love to connect via LinkedIn.

But before getting carried away, I need to give you an important warning. Along with making a mis-hire, the most painful part of recruitment is when a candidate accepts your job offer but doesn’t start. Can you imagine going from a sense of relief that you’ve finished the recruitment process and the job has been filled, to panic and disbelief that you’ve got to start again? The other candidates you interviewed have probably accepted a job offer elsewhere. This means you’ve got to spend more money attracting new applicants, spend more time shortlisting, make more Telephone Interviews, attend more Structured Interviews, and you could still fail to recruit anyone!

In a competitive marketplace, this happens frequently. Gartner (2023) found that in a survey of 3,500 candidates, 50% accepted a job offer and then backed out! However, in my experience, I find this 50% figure ridiculous and expect it to be nearer 5% – probably because I follow my advice!

The chances of a candidate not starting increase exponentially the longer it takes them to join. In some countries, two weeks’ notice is standard, but it could be up to three months. Similarly, a graduate might not start for six to nine months, and they may “accept” multiple offers and only make a final decision weeks before.

Recruitment isn’t “done” until the candidate starts!

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Why Candidates May Not Start a New Job

There are still so many things that can go wrong:

• A counteroffer: Their current employer may make another counteroffer that you don’t have an opportunity to manage.
• A competing offer: The candidate may continue to get email job alerts or calls from other employers and recruitment agencies, giving them better options.
• They simply change their mind: The candidate may have to serve a notice period, during which time they become anxious about their decision and feel “buyer’s remorse”.

For many of these reasons, you must maintain contact with the candidate to get an early warning of problems. On the more positive side, this is also a great way to prepare them for starting with you.

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Communicate With a Candidate Frequently

At first, there are plenty of reasons to speak to a candidate who has accepted a job offer. You might have to check their right to work, confirm Reference Calls, agree on employment contracts, etc. However, as time passes, fewer obvious reasons exist for contacting them. The last thing you want to do is say, “Just checking if you're still joining us?” as this might sow doubt in their mind. One of my SECRETS is to keep in regular contact with new starters.

Here are a few ideas for staying in touch:

• After the candidate has handed in their notice, contact them to find out how it went. Reassure them that this is never easy, but many people do it, and the candidate did it for the right reasons.
• Arrange an informal dinner with some of their new colleagues before they join.
• A senior leader can make an introductory call to welcome the candidate.
• Give additional information about the company and the role that might help them feel more prepared. (Just ensure it doesn’t feel like unpaid homework.)
• Invite them to staff parties and celebrations. This helps build relationships and demonstrates that you’re a thriving organisation with staff who like to have fun together. (But a word of warning; these can be daunting for a new employee who doesn’t know anyone, so ensure everyone makes a real effort to introduce themselves.)
• When planning their first few days, ask the candidate what’s most important to them to ensure everything is covered.
• Do they have holidays, birthdays, or important anniversaries that they would like booked off?
• If they need a car parking pass, can you have their details in advance to prepare one?
• Do staff wear a uniform? If so, approximately what size would they like to try?
• On their first day, let them know you’d like to take them out for lunch and ask what their favourite type of food is.

What other reasons can you think of for being in contact with them?

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<span class="purple-callout"><p>Need advice or practical support? Feel free to get your free consultation.</p><p>For example, I can advertise a job across the UK's best job boards for only £199.</p><p>You may also find my recruitment book useful - it's a bestseller!</p></span>

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Additional Resources

More help and advice are available at starget.co.uk/book including:

• Recruiting Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Don’t Lose Your New Hire: Ensure They Are Ready & Excited to Start.
• Article; How Keeping in Touch with Candidates Makes Them More Likely to Start.