5 Ways to Scare Off Job Applicants

Jason Elrick

July 13, 2015

Have you ever offered a candidate the job only to have him or her turn you down? I’ve seen it happen recently, and as the labor market increasingly favors candidates, this will probably become even more commonplace. It’s understandable that, as an employer, you want to be careful and take your time choosing just the right professional. But in this market, job applicants have more choices and a lower tolerance for the hoops you may want them to jump through. Here are 5 ways to scare off job applicants:

Don’t define what you really want in a candidate. Being wishy washy about what you need will only make candidates wonder why they’d want to work for your organization. Make sure your hiring team is clear on what kind of skills, competencies, and personality the open position ideally requires.

Tell the candidate everything that’s wrong with the company or department. Are the people on your interview team professional? Do you all care about your organization and desire to improve the department? This is the kind of team you’ll need to attract candidates and give them a good impression of your organization or department.

Don’t communicate with the candidate. If you want candidates to sense your interest and understand what to expect from you, you must give them feedback and stay in touch throughout the hiring process. Not doing so will almost certainly result in their giving bad feedback about your organization to other professionals. Luckily, according to StaffingStream.com, “a good application and recruiting process can have the opposite effect, to the tune of 90% of candidates sharing their positive experience and encouraging others to apply. By providing feedback and showing courtesy, companies stand to not only grab a new brand ambassador, but many.”

Offer a below-market salary. The top professionals you’re interviewing likely have multiple offers and choices for their career. The technical talent pool is shrinking, and if you want a great employee, offering fair market compensation or above is key.

Take your time in making the offer. Top professionals are increasingly in high demand. If you find the right person for your job, communicate how much you want him or her and pull the trigger! Too many things can happen when you delay in getting out an offer.

Does your hiring process attract candidates, or does it employ these 5 ways to scare off job applicants? Use the warnings above to assess which areas of your process need improvement, and make the necessary changes before launching your next candidate search. Remember, we’re here when you need a staffing partner with a best-in-class hiring process to help you build a high-performing team.

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Can you trust your first impressions of a candidate? Read this.