Hiring managers work with Spectrum, a top staffing agency in New Jersey, to streamline their recruitment process and find top prospective candidates. One of the most disappointing and frustrating outcomes is when a final choice is made, only to be turned down by the candidate. Understanding what candidates are looking for in prospective employers can allow you the opportunity to ensure you are presenting your company in the most appealing manner. Learn more by reviewing these top three reasons candidates turn down job offers: 

Compensation Was Too Low

Since compensation talks often don’t come up until after the interview and decision-making process, candidates may not know what to expect from your offer – and when they finally receive it, it may be way off base from their expectations. Take some time to do research into current market values to ensure you are offering compensation that is in line with your competitors. If you don’t have much wiggle room in your budget, there are still ways to compensate that aren’t monetary but that candidates may still find appealing, such as schedule flexibility, extra paid time off, or options to work remotely. 

Related post: Looking into Employee Benefits: What Do Employee REALLY Want?

Competition Beat You to It

Sometimes even if you are a candidate’s top choice, they may receive another offer first and not be willing to risk turning it down if they haven’t heard from you in a timely manner. If you are finding yourself losing candidates because your competition beat you to it, review your hiring process to see if there are ways to streamline it. Possible solutions include: creating a set criteria list to objectively and quickly evaluate candidates, limiting the number of interviews, and setting strict deadlines for any decision-makers to provide their input. 

Negative Candidate Experience 

How a candidate feels they were treated during the hiring process can significantly influence their decision on whether or not to accept your offer. Treat a candidate in the same manner as you would a customer and prioritize their experience. Be respectful of their time (such as being willing to work with their schedules and not constantly cancelling or rescheduling), be responsive to their inquiries, and give them your full attention during the interview itself and not be distracted with checking email or taking phone calls. If they have a negative candidate experience, not only will they turn down your offer, but they may tell others about their experience and your employer brand could be negatively affected and cost you future prospects. 

Attract top talent by working with Spectrum Staffing Services. We are a staffing agency in New Jersey with more than 25 years of experience, and offer a range of staffing and recruitment services, from temporary to direct placement. Contact Spectrum today to learn more about our staffing and recruitment services.