Australian employees are declining job offers at a startling rate
Candidates accepting your job offer isn’t a guarantee that they’re through the door, according to a new Robert Half report. In fact, data indicates that Australian workers are quitting before they’ve even begun. According to the report, 66% of workers have declined a job offer they’ve already accepted, with 54% doing so in order to accept an even better proposal.
In addition, 21% of workers said they’d be open to leaving a role during their probation period, due to:
- Poor company culture (53%)
- A better offer (43%)
- Job not aligning with what was advertised (40%)
Employers have been noticing an uptick in candidate uncertainty, with 61% of employers saying they experienced an increase in the number of candidates retracting a job acceptance. Some 54% of employers also noticed a higher number of employees leaving their organisation within the first six months.
Read more: Seven things HR should do before a new hire’s first day
How can HR solve early candidate turnover?
To address these issues, 54% of employers are expediting the hiring process and supercharging their onboarding initiatives. As part of this, organisations are sending company-wide “welcome emails” (55%), starting team threads on their employee forum (51%), and organising more in-person team events (50%).
Read more: What should a new hire achieve in their first month?
Nicole Gorton, director of Robert Half Australia, stressed the importance of developing a "strong rapport" with new hires through open and constant communication.
"Securing top talent doesn't stop when they sign the contract,” she said. “Once a candidate has accepted a role, it is essential to develop a strong rapport with them by maintaining communication. While not new, many companies today still allow there to be a communication gap between the moment the contract is signed and the new employee's first day.
"Regular email updates, post-interview check-ins and offering more details about the role, company, and induction plan could all help to build an emotional connection and reduce the risk of candidates backing out of a job offer in favour of a competing opportunity,” Gorton said. “When the candidate joins the company, providing a clear roadmap of responsibilities, conducting regular check-ins, offering mentoring, and organising team building activities are all examples of successful onboarding tactics in the current environment."
