Why New Hires Quit Before They Start and How to Prevent It

It might’ve taken weeks, or maybe months, to lure and land the perfect candidate whose skills and experience check all the boxes. The person has accepted your job offer. But shortly before the start date, he or she has a change of heart and decides not to join your organization.

It happened to Suzie Grieco, now the president and co-owner of SG2 Recruiting, a recruiting and search firm in Washington, D.C. “After a long negotiation regarding compensation, the candidate accepted a verbal offer and returned a signed offer letter,” she recalled. “The day before he was scheduled to start, he called to say that he had accepted another offer that he could not refuse.”

Grieco said she was livid “given [their] extensive discussions regarding comp, the team and second chances”—he had declined another offer the previous year.

Recruiters are understandably frustrated when a candidate rescinds a job acceptance, but the decision also creates larger problems for the business. The employer has likely notified any recruitment agencies it was using and other potential applicants that the position has been filled; job ads may have been pulled; and supplies, software and hardware may have been ordered and are being set up.