Frustrated with No-Shows: How Can HR Handle Candidates Who Accept Offers but Don't Join?

Challenges in Hiring for E-commerce Positions

I am working as an HR Executive in an e-commerce company based in Ahmedabad. I am currently looking for an Email Support Executive and a Business Development Manager (BDM) with e-commerce experience. It's quite challenging to find candidates for both positions, as BDMs with e-commerce experience are rare, and for email support, we need individuals with a strong command of English.

In the last month, I shortlisted four candidates (not all at the same time). Each of them attended the interview, got shortlisted, and despite confirming multiple times their intention to change jobs and join our organization, they accepted the offer letter. However, just a day before joining (and two of them didn't even bother to inform us until the day of joining), they said they couldn't join. Is this fair?

Employer and Candidate Commitments

My question is, what if employers did the same to candidates on the day of joining, informing them that we don't want them to join our organization now? How would they react? Can't we establish a system or rule to assist HR and organizations in the hiring process? We all know how lengthy and challenging the recruitment cycle is.

Some may argue that employers evaluate many candidates, but we don't provide an offer letter to every candidate we shortlist. Candidates also have the right to choose the best employer, but if you commit to joining after a certain period and then accept offers from multiple organizations without following through, it is frustrating and concerning.

Improving Communication in the Hiring Process

I suggest better communication and clarity from both sides to avoid such situations in the future. It's essential for candidates to be honest about their intentions, and for employers to streamline their hiring processes to ensure a smoother experience for all parties involved.

Regards,
Chaitsi

Hi,

In my opinion, we should at least update remarks on a particular recruitment channel through which we got candidates interviewed or aligned. For example, if any candidate is coming via Naukri.com, then some remarks can be mentioned against their profile by the employer. This will help recruiters in the future to be aware of past incidents related to assessing these candidates. What do you think?

Hi,

Not only Naukri, but I feel we should make an app or candidate portal where we can blacklist such candidates or provide our reviews that are useful for other recruiters.

Recruitment Challenges in India

Every week, we have postings on CiteHR about recruitment problems, and frequently these postings are about prospective appointees not showing up. It seems to be a fact of life in India.

My view on this is simple: you chose the wrong person. I have been a member of CiteHR for many years and have a particular interest in recruitment, along with training. Quite frankly, some of the things I have read over the years on recruitment practices simply beggar belief.

Review and Improve Your Recruitment Process

Go back and look at your recruitment process—from beginning to end. THEN FIX IT. Check my postings on recruitment. I have said many times that successful recruitment is not rocket science. I have posted my simple guide to recruitment. It worked for organizations where I was employed in the past, and I have trained other hiring managers in this system.

However, NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT, not even mine. But if you have a robust system in place, you can mitigate most of the problems.

Regards

Addressing the "No Shows" Problem in Recruitment

The recruitment community has largely accepted that there seems to be no solution to the problem of "No Shows." Companies of all sizes and reputations have been suffering from this issue, with no exceptions.

A friend of mine has attempted to tackle this problem, and his solution appears to be effective. His proposal is that employers, upon making an offer, should insist that candidates register and "Accept" the offer on the iAccept portal. If they fail to do so, the employer will withdraw the offer. Additionally, before making an offer, other companies should search for the candidate on the portal to ensure they have not accepted any other offers. This approach is simple but effective.

Check out www.iAccept.in

Thank you.

Warm regards,

Gopal Kulkarni
Resumefox - Complete Recruitment Software with Resume Parser
185 Happy Valley, Uttarahalli
Bangalore, India. 560 061
Tel: [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]
www.resumefox.net

Such problems are to be handled carefully. Writing on blogs or websites that a candidate failed to report after accepting an offer letter can be the cause of legal battles. So, accept that a few candidates may not turn up. Always keep standby candidates ready.

Yes, it's rightly said by Mr. Nathrao that one should have a pool of shortlisted candidates ready to replace those who don't report after receiving the offer letter. Apart from this, for an HR person, it's important to clearly help the candidate understand the job role, how their future or career will develop within the company, how they can best contribute their skills and knowledge, and what scope or benefits they can expect in return.

When a candidate is clear about expectations and benefits, they are more likely to perform well. It's natural that people's desires are unlimited; they always seek more, so candidates will also compare offers, which we can't prevent. However, we can improve the recruitment process by adding a personal touch with the candidate. This approach can assist in selecting genuine and trustworthy employees for the company.

These days, lots of companies offer job offer letters without mentioning the compensation structure. This prevents candidates from using the offer as a bargaining tool to negotiate a better package from their current company. The compensation package should be clearly presented to candidates, discussed in detail, and a signed copy should be retained by the company. The same information should be provided to the candidate on the day of their joining. This approach works very effectively.

This kind of situation is very common. You will face this during recruitment, which can be irritating and frustrating, and at some point, you might even consider changing your field. However, every job profile comes with its pros and cons. Therefore, relax, don't lose your patience, and stay calm. You cannot change anyone's mindset. I have been handling recruitment for a long time and encounter such unwanted situations every day. My advice is to avoid these situations by keeping more candidates in the pipeline. This way, if some candidates do not turn up, you can select someone from your pipeline.

Best wishes for your future endeavors.

Practical Solution for Offer Letters

I think a very practical solution is to create two Offer Letters (OL). OL I will include all the details, such as the designation and CTC being offered, while OL II will omit the designation and CTC. Only OL II will be given to the candidate, and OL I will be signed by the candidate but retained by the employer. OL I will be handed over to the employee on the day they join. This approach minimizes the misuse of the Offer Letter by the employee for negotiating a better salary based on it. Some of our leading clients are practicing this method very successfully. It works, believe me.

Regards

Handling Offer Letters and Candidate Commitment

We have faced similar situations in the past and devised a strategy to overcome this challenge. In our organization, whenever a candidate is selected, we immediately inform them that we will not be issuing any offer letter or Letter of Intent (LOI). Instead, we provide an appointment letter (consultant agreement) 15 days after their joining.

This approach benefits us in two ways. First, genuine candidates agree to the situation and fully accept our decision. Second, candidates who intend to misuse our offer letter at their existing company or elsewhere simply reject our offer and move on.

In both cases, it’s a win-win situation for us as an organization. Once the candidate joins us, we issue an appointment letter after 15 to 20 days of their joining. We are happy working this way, and genuine candidates support us too. See if this suits you and if you can follow the same approach.

Regards