Candidate fall offs are beyond frustrating. You stake your reputation on the talents and commitment of a prospect, only to be burned when that person cuts and runs on an employment contract. Eliminating every such instance is impossible, but measures exist to lower candidate fall off rates. When fill rates are suffering, considering these three simple steps lowers premature turnover.  

1.) Make Sure the Candidate Is Serious 

In cases of higher fall off rates, weak upfront screening is often a key contributor. Candidates’ motives are not always transparent. On the surface, new opportunities and challenges drive job searches. Yet when some candidates receive counteroffers, they instantly accept. 

Are the warning signs strong enough to spot a future fall off in the making? Here’s what we recommend keeping on your radar: 

Lack of Preparation – What a candidate retains about your client speaks volumes. Candidates who fail to recall client specifics may just be looking for a boosted paycheck, and a counteroffer will satisfy that easily enough. 

Weak Enthusiasm – Do candidates ask in-depth questions about culture, objectives, and growth opportunities? Do they attend interviews with improvement plans in mind? Do they follow up after their interviews? If not, they may be coasting through the process. 

Slow Responses – Is your candidate a sluggish communicator? There’s a good chance he or she is waiting for news on another opportunity. Keep backup candidates in the corridor to contact as a contingent. 

2.) Establish Lasting Trust 

Sometimes, all it takes to lower candidate fall off rates is to build better trust. Plenty of fall offs happen when a candidate is mismatched with the role or working environment. The secret is to forge deep connections early to prevent damage to your fill rate later. Building fast and sturdy bonds takes emphasis in the right areas: 

Identifying pain points – Overlook what is troubling candidates and you miss what they want from their new job. Is there a shortage of challenges? A lack of growth opportunities? A hostile work environment? Bad leadership? Get the answer and you lower candidate fall off rates noticeably. 

Fostering communication – There is a learning curve with any new job. Having an empathetic ear to express concerns and frustrations helps diffuse stress and dissuade candidates from leaving abruptly.  

3.) Streamline Hiring Processes

Hiring processes have become bloated. The average vacancy takes 23 business days to fill, and in that time candidates will continue their job search. Streamlined processes decrease the time competitors have to approach candidates. Though clients share part of the responsibility, there are certain practices and tools recruiters can use to accelerate placements: 

Use Your Recruitment CRM – So much of keeping the hiring process brief depends on wrangling candidates and clients appropriately. A strong recruitment CRM helps track appointments and routinize follow ups. And in those instances when fall offs do happen, a staffing CRM can track fall off related data for preventative reports.

Speed Up Hiring Steps – The capabilities of mobile recruiting software enable recruiters to speed up their actions in the recruiting process. Being able to enter candidate/client notes, access resumes, and submit candidates while out of the office lessens the time frame recruiting tasks are on your plate.  

Lower Candidate Fall Off with a Total Approach

In the end, candidates want to know that they are receiving equal focus as clients. Fall offs indicate that somewhere along the line, they went unheard. Conducting thorough candidate evaluations, building strong relationships, and using staffing tools strategically convey to candidates that their interests matter and that you’ve done all in your power to place them in a role where it’s worthwhile for them to stay.