Last Minute Rejection

The other day I was having breakfast with a friend of mine who is the head of HR for a global firm headquartered in Chicago.  He commented that to his surprise and consternation, a number of highly qualified job candidates had changed their minds after accepting an offer from his firm. 

This seems puzzling given today’s job market and the fact that in any economy and by any measure, this prestigious company would be an employer of choice.  Two possible explanations come to mind:

1.  Those candidates who are employed elsewhere might be concerned that if they leave their current employer and the new job doesn’t work out, they’ll find themselves unemployed in the midst of the worst economic downturn they’ve ever seen.  Even if they’re dissatisfied with their current job they may opt to stick with the familiar rather than risk the unknown.  If so, employers might want to ask themselves “how can we minimize the unknowns for the candidate?”   At some point during the interview process, consider asking candidates the following questions:

“How can we help you get a clearer sense of what it will be like working here/being on this team/reporting to this person?”

“We want you to feel confident that you’ll thrive here.  Is there anything about this opportunity that has you concerned?"

2.  Some candidates advance through the interview process with a singular focus on getting the job without paying close enough attention to whether it’s the right job for them.  Once the offer is in hand they’re forced to quickly assess whether or not it is truly what they want.  Employers might want to ask themselves “how can we help candidates be honest with themselves – as early as possible in the process – about whether or not this is a good fit?"   At some point during the interview process, consider asking candidates one or both of these questions:

“We want you to be sure that this position would be a good fit for you.  How can we help you assess that?"

“Is there anything we can do (or any information we can provide) to help you make sure that this opportunity is right for you?”

Fear of the unknown, and failing to be honest with oneself – two all-too-human foibles that prevent candidates from making a good decision and sticking with it.  Thoughtful questioning during the interview process can help mitigate the impact of these two factors and lessen the likelihood that a candidate will back out at the last minute.