The Renege Phenomenon – Tackling Reneges — Part -2

In my previous blog, I had highlighted the problems recruiters faced by reneges. This blog will identify the underlying reasons behind candidates rejecting employment at the last minute.

Renege, for recruiters, is toxic to the business as it reduces revenue and brings down the brand image of their organisation. A frustrated lot, especially agency recruiters, are unable to source similar profiles when a prospective candidate rejects employment. However, this concern has been viewed from one perspective.

Recruitment research agencies such as Han Digital have been conducting surveys and undertaking research related activities to identify candidate behaviour and management.  

The most valid question that recruiters often ask — why do prospective candidates renege? Here is what we found out:

The reasons for reneging could be numerous like poor communication from the recruiters, salary slab and most of all job offers from other potential employers. From an individual level, prospective candidates are often discouraged to approach an offer if they are neglected.

Likewise, not all candidates renege employment offers. Reneging is more or less common in narcissistic candidates. In my earlier blog I had mentioned how narcissistic candidates deal with recruiters during a phone call. There are instances where narcissistic candidates are usually engaged in professional tomfoolery. Despite having an offer in hand, candidates pursue another opportunity just for the heck of it.

So how do organisations tackle this roadblock? What must they do to surge the joining ratio? Here are some suggestions from our experts. Take a look!

Communication

In the recruitment domain, communication is an utmost necessity. Communication is the only way to keep prospective candidates engaged and enthusiastic about joining the company. Since the interview for a role takes weeks to process, it is important to keep candidates updated at all times. As a part of their daily activity, recruiters must ensure that they offer personalised communication to candidates during the interval in case the candidates lose track of the interview process.

Interpersonal Relationship

Along with communication, it is necessary for a recruiter to build a strong rapport with a prospective candidate. Recruiters must ensure that candidates get a proper understanding of the role offered to them and are given a platform to enquire about their role and the company. At every level, recruiters must foster transactional communication in order to understand candidate needs and wants. 

Attractive Collaterals

No candidate would like to read boring and endless scripts relating to a job offer. Adding colour and vigour to a job by preparing visual media collaterals would definitely attract candidates to approach the ad. Aspirational messages and profiles of employees would add a spark to the job description. The message must be clear and offer candidates a good understanding of what they are getting into.

Clarity in Role

Candidates shy away from any prospective job if there is a lack in clarity in role offered them. At every stage, recruiters must inform the candidate about how they will fit into the project, especially for candidates pitched for leadership. What attracts them the most is their respective role in the organisation. Emphasising on the organisation’s mission, vision and work culture can help candidates understand their company on a much better note.

Understanding Candidate Perspectives

This is a must-do-job for every recruiter and is considered a best method to sieve interested candidates ready to accept the offer. A recruiter must evaluate the seriousness and willingness of candidates by asking relevant questions at an early stage or perhaps conduct an employment test for the same. The data generated can help recruiters process resumes of only those candidates interested in the job.

With proper management and careful observation, reneges can reduced. Recruiters must make use of customised analytics that enable recruiters to evaluate renege patterns across the industry.

Nevertheless, by following the tips mentioned above, a recruiter can at least make an effort to reduce reneges but cannot obviate it from the recruitment process.