It happens to the best of us. You interview a whole clutch of candidates, choose the one that you think will make a real impact on the business and then, you receive the news that your job offer was rejected.
What went wrong? With the unemployment rate standing at 4.2% as of May this year- a record low- the competition to secure the brightest talent in the market has never been higher. That means you need to up your game if you want to do your bit and get the edge over your competitors, especially as 15% of candidates turn down job offers from prospective employers. This can be for reasons as diverse as salary, career development and a flexible interview process.
With today’s sales people expecting more than ever from their employers, it’s time to get savvy about your recruiting process. Here’s why your job offers aren’t being accepted- and what you need to do about it.
There was a better offer elsewhere
Any good candidate will want to keep as many doors open as possible during the recruitment process, which is why it’s a real possibility that they’ll be working with a variety of recruiters. It’s no wonder 62% of employers feel that the labour market is candidate-driven: many will have a number of options to choose from when it comes to accepting the job offer of their dreams, which puts you at risk of being rejected at the final hurdle.
To stand out, you need to look at your recruitment process– and at how you advertise yourself online. From your social media posts to the pages on your website, how are you selling yourself? 66% of candidates who change jobs are aware of their new company before they even apply, so you need to make sure you have a strong employer brand that attracts and engages applicants. Show off your company culture, make sure you have team pages that profile your staff, and include pictures of training days and events to give people an idea of what working for your company is like.
When it comes to the interview itself, give candidates a chance to ask questions about life in the office, and even show them around. That way, they’ll have a more rounded idea of what life at your company is like- and whether or not they want to be part of it.
The package wasn’t good enough
It might not come as a surprise, but it’s been proven that the number of months a sales person operates at full productivity correlates directly with the amount of pay they receive. Sales people are inherently ambitious, and they want a competitive salary to go with the time and effort they put into their job. If they’re turning down your job offers, it might be because what you’re offering isn’t good enough.
Research what you should be offering them and find out what counts as a good salary in today’s competitive market. Alongside that, have you considered additional perks? After all, people also want more than a salary, and half of all sales people have admitted that they need to improve their work-life balance. Look to flexible working options, work training, and opportunities for career progression: after all, this is what sales people are looking for, with a lack of career progression the number one reason sales people leave a role.
You took too long
Today’s sales candidates have had at least one interview after only two weeks of looking for their next job. This highlights the importance of streamlining your recruitment process: take too long, and you run the risk of coming across as disorganised, creating a bad candidate experience for your interviewees in turn. 80% of jobseekers say that they would not reapply to a company that didn’t notify them of their application status: don’t make the same mistake.
Make the effort to communicate with your candidates. Keep in touch with them throughout the various stages of the job seeking process, and don’t take too long in making your decisions or between sending emails. Be organised: set timescale expectations, showing candidates when they can expect to hear from you, and how fast the process takes. In the interests of simplifying further, it might be a good idea to reduce the steps in your application process and get the dates in your applicants’ diaries blocked out in advance to ensure minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.
Recruit smarter with BMS Performance
We know the difference a great recruitment process can make. If you want to transform yours, don’t wait: browse our Performance Blog for more insights, or pick up the phone and speak to our experts.
