Struggling with Candidate No-Shows During Onboarding: How Can We Improve Our Process?

I am working as an HR Executive in a mid-sized software firm. Now, I am facing a very difficult time in onboarding the candidates. We have been able to offer positions to many candidates, but they are not joining. How can I resolve this issue? We are offering good salaries to all candidates, but unfortunately, we are not a CMM level company. Please help.

If you think that not being a CMM company is the problem, consider obtaining CMM level certification.

Regards,
Varghese Mathew

I would be curious to know what you mean by a good salary. What type of candidates are you looking for? Where are you sourcing them?

Such issues do occur with small and mid-size companies. Probably, you need to make sure that the candidates get to know your organization well enough before a formal offer is rolled out. For prospective job seekers who would really like to make a difference, a small to mid-size organization is any day a better bet than a tier 1 company. CMMI certifications may not really matter; perhaps these are sheer excuses given by candidates who back out. Nevertheless, the organization needs to be process-driven. My suggestion would be to position your organization well, build on the reputation, and streamline your recruitment process.

Thanks,
Regards

We are offering a salary that meets their expectations if the candidate is exceptionally good. We are sourcing through job portals, consultancies, and employee referrals. However, they are not getting onboarded.

Regards,
Deepa

Thank you for the vague statement that you are offering what they want if the candidate is exceptionally good. It will really help us understand your problem. Have you at least spoken to the consultant and to the employees who referred candidates as to why they are not joining? You will generally get a good idea of what the problem is.

If you are offering a salary, what do candidates expect? Why are candidates not joining or onboarding? It's essential to keep in touch with the employee and confirm two days before onboarding. You need to ensure that candidates get to know your organization well enough before the offer letter is rolled out from your end. However, CMMI certification is not the reason.

Hi All, Thanks for a very interesting discussion. I face the same issue in my company (a BPO, domestic). I can tell this is part of the recruitment process, and many companies, irrespective of reputation, face the same problem. You need to keep in touch with candidates, and as rightly pointed out by Mr. Saswata, you need to at least ask for the reason for not joining.

Questions to Consider

Are you short-selling your company? Are you discussing their career prospects with them that your company is able to offer? Do you discuss your company's growth/achievements with them? Maybe these inputs will help. I asked myself the same questions.

All the best! Pavan.

I fully agree with what other members have suggested. I need to ask you, are the candidates not joining after receiving the offer from you? If yes, then here are my quick thoughts:

Interview Process Evaluation

You need to have a quick look at your interview process, right from the moment candidates enter the office until they leave your premises. It is most important to make them feel welcome. Are you noting and taking full job history, like past records, etc., or are you offering jobs to those who frequently jump from one to another—job hoppers?

Highlighting Positives

Did you highlight all positives, like the post-career graph from there on? What are the benefits of working with your company or in a particular profile? Are there any particular benefits that you could boast about, like group mediclaim, etc.? These are the same thoughts as Mr. Pavan has pointed out.

Compensation Considerations

Regarding compensation, you might offer a very high CTC, but when candidates see their actual take-home pay, it might be too low. Since you have provided vague information on this, I will leave the judgment to you. Whether you present a lucrative offer or not, is it on par with what your competitors are offering?

Resignation Letter Submission

Are you asking candidates to submit a copy of their resignation letter within a stipulated time period, which starts from the day you release an offer?

Staying Connected

Stay connected with the candidate. They might be considering two or more offers or could be using an offer to negotiate at their current place. For example, when our employee had to join us from a reputed MNC, we stayed in touch with him, knowing about his exit interview, last formalities like handing over, and his relocation (as he was working in Mumbai and we are in Gujarat).

Though once a candidate refuses to join you, you cannot expect them to tell you the true reason, you could still take a chance and ask them very gently about the reason. Do not probe much.

I am sure your consultant will have a pool of eligible candidates. Let us know what reason they have offered you.

Best Wishes

It is happening in most mid- and small-sized organizations, but we can tackle the situation by branding your company and marketing it. Compare your company's norms and welfare benefits with those of other organizations. Follow up properly, and you can even analyze some candidates based on their way of speaking and behavior.

Create a joining tracker, keep in touch, and stay closely involved so that we can improve and also receive good references from them.

Thank you.
Regards