Hello all,
This is a real practical issue that almost every employer /HR is facing. Being an HR System Consultant, I sometimes suggest customized ideas that can help a Company avoid or control such situations. Few of them are worth pondering upon -
1. In the interview itself, structure your questions such a way that somewhere it helps you capture that a candidate has and is thinking on other offers as well (it's common) Reiterate the fact and insist that as a Company OR HR, you ensure a smooth and fair Recruitment practices vis-a-vis you expect an employee to stick to his 'commitment' also. This will give a hint to the candidate and if they are genuine, they tell you upfront that they have other options OR you get the idea through their non-verbal cues.
2. Why to bank upon a particular candidate? When candidates have 2 to 3 options, why not an employer can semi-select at least 3 candidates whom you can rate as A, B & C so at least when A does not join, B is there and if B does not join, C is there. For this, you will have to make the joining period short (15 days to 1 month) to get the idea.
3. Preferring immediate joiners can also solve this problem to some extent. That is what is being preferred by employers now.
There could few more ways to work on this problem.