When a Strategic Hire Turns You Down, Do This

How do you bounce back when an important candidate turns you down? 

Just a few weeks ago, the World Cup wrapped up in Qatar. The conclusion of the tournament marks the start of the customary, four-year hiatus–a time in which teams rebuild and strategize. Part of that process? Making a strategic hire–selecting a new head coach or choosing to resign the current one. 

It’s a high-paying job and a respected title (sought after by all professional soccer coaches), but interestingly–just this week–two high-profile head coaching jobs were reportedly turned down. 

France’s Zinedine Zidane–infamous for head-butting an Italian player in the 2006 World Cup but respected nonetheless–turned down the U.S. Men’s National Team head coaching position. Similarly, Spain’s Pep Guardiola (the highest-paid soccer coach in the world) is rumored to have rejected an offer to lead Brazil in the next tournament. 

So, what now? What happens when a candidate–that you’ve planned for and built strategy around–says no? What happens when your best offer gets rejected? What happens when a strategic hire turns you down? 

What to Do When a Strategic Hire Turns Down The Offer

You make sure it never happens again! 

A strategic hire is someone who can deliver on your short-term and long-term goals; a candidate who can help you grow your business and grow with your business. A candidate you’ve identified as someone who can make a major impact on your organization. Here’s what to do when a strategic hire turns you down: 

• End it on a high note. Despite your disappointment, it’s critical to leave the candidate with a good feeling towards your organization (and chances are it’s not personal).  You never know how things will pan out. Leave the door open for future opportunities with the candidate (and their network) by responding graciously.Plus, according to research from candidate experience platform Talenthub, 69% of candidates will never apply to your company again if the candidate experience is negative, and 72% of candidates who have a negative experience will tell others about it, making it even more critical to ending things amicably. 

• Look at your candidate experience. If important candidates are frequently turning down your offers, consider reviewing your recruiting strategies and how candidates move through your hiring process.In this employee-friendly labor market, candidates expect a hiring process that’s easy and transparent. They’re looking for a culture fit as much as a salary fit. They’re even turning down job offers for something as simple as quicker job offers. Take this time to do a quick audit of your hiring practices to make sure they’re up to date, and consider investing more resources in the candidate experience (particularly for critical hires). 

• Gather feedback, use the data. Asking the candidate for feedback about your hiring–after they turn down the offer–is a great way to end things on a high note (see #1). It shows the candidate that you’re willing to learn and get better and that you truly care about their experience, making them more likely to apply again in the future.Plus, the details of that feedback can help you improve your hiring process and candidate experience (see #2). The collected data points from candidate feedback show you exactly what levers need to be pulled to improve hiring outcomes for strategic candidates.

The U.S. and Brazilian National Teams are regrouping this week–likely sorting through some variation of the listed above. They’re sending the previous candidates off with well-wishes. They’re looking into where they can improve their recruiting process to really sell a future candidate. They’re using learnings from the previous offer to get better–so that the next time they make an offer to a strategic candidate for the role of Head Coach, it’s sure to be accepted.