'Uncommitted': 1 in 2 job candidates back out of job offer

Getting an employee to accept a job offer won't guarantee their immediate loyalty to an organisation, as a new report finds that 50% of job candidates have backed out of the job offer before their first day.

These are the findings of a new Gartner survey of nearly 3,500 candidates in May 2023.

Among 2,000 of the respondents who recently accepted a job offer, 47% said they are still open to other employers after accepting a position, while 42% believe they could still find a better job if they kept looking.

"We are seeing many candidates uncommitted to their new employer and keeping one foot in the job market," said Jamie John, senior director in the Gartner HR practice, in a media release.

The lack of commitment from potential new hires comes amid the abundance of job offers they have been receiving. In fact, 35% of the respondents said they received four or more offers during their last job search.

Why are employees backing out?

Kohn said nearly 90% of the candidates said they pulled out of a hiring process due to at least one mismatch in employee value proposition.

"This includes compensation and benefits, but also things like flexibility in working hours, career pathing, skills development, team diversity, and management style," he said.

Among nearly 2,000 candidates surveyed, they said they accepted a new job offer due to:

• Greater flexibility in when and where they work (59%)
• Better work-life balance (45%)
• Higher compensation (40%)

Addressing the problem in hiring

Gartner's findings reflect recent research from Michael Page in Singapore, which found that nine in 10 new hires are open to new opportunities.

PageGroup CEO Nicholas Kirk said these are "not fleeting trends or reactionary responses to period of turbulence."

"Rather, they are reshaping the workplace in a way that will subtly yet fundamentally change the way businesses attract and retain their talent."

To address the change, the Gartner report underscored the importance of a "clearly articulated" employee value proposition that goes beyond pay and flexibility.

What makes an attractive job posting?

Meanwhile, the report also found that 68% of candidates are expecting salary information on employers' job postings.

Another 64% said they are more likely apply for a job that lists compensation in the description, while 44% said they decided not to apply to a job because the posting did not include salary information.

As employers grow more aggressive on office returns, job candidates are also making their preferences clear on where they want to work.

Gartner discovered that 75% of candidates who can work remotely want to more remotely more than half of the time.

A previous Gartner survey among 397 employees also revealed that 47% are actively looking for a job because they want more flexibility.

"When it comes to pay transparency and return to office mandates, organisations can either enhance or impede their talent attraction efforts based on the decisions they make," Kohn said.