1 reason a candidate might not accept your offer
August 27, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Attracting talent, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Latest News & Views
There are several reasons candidates turn down job offers. Here’s one that’s becoming more common:
Long commutes.
Employees were asked if they’d turn down a job because the new commute would be significantly longer in a recent poll by Management Recruiters International.
The result: 75% said yes.
Give them incentives
Long drives are becoming more of a factor to candidates, as commutes become more costly and the housing slump makes relocating increasingly difficult.
What’s the solution? During interviews and when you make offers, emphasize any benefits you offer to help workers deal with fuel costs — for example, telecommuting options, public transit discounts, flex-time, etc.
Tags: commutes, job offers, Management Recruiters International, telecommuting
August 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
If a long commute is the reason an applicant turns down a job, why is s/he interviewing for the job in the first place and wasting everyone’e time?
August 29th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
In the past, I interviewed for jobs with a longer commute that I would liked. The possibility of a great fit, exciting growth opportunities or an income that would compensate the drive would be lost if not ventured. I found, in the past, interviewers were reluctant to discuss wages, benefits and growth opportunities over the phone which made the wasteful interview necessary.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Actually, I had applied for a position at a large corporation because it said it was only 21 miles away from me. Turns out, the ad was incorrect and it was actually 42 miles away (my current commute is under 3 miles). I went anyway hoping they would compensate me for the mileage. They did come in with an incredible offer, but the cost of being away from my small child was too much and I declined the position. I did inquire about telecommuting and told them distance was my main issue. I asked if I could be kept in mind if a position opened up somewhere closer or if there was a possibility of telecommuting in the near future. They were quite receptive to it (or at least appeared to be).
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I have also interviewed for positions with a longer commute than I preferred because I wasn’t sure if some of the intangibles and benefits would outweigh the inconvenience and expense of the additional travel time. My current commute is longer than I would prefer, but there are enough good factors with the job to keep me happy. I can also travel at off hours (arrive at 6:00 a.m., no lunch, and leave at 4:00 p.m.) to miss a lot of the traffic. Others come in later and leave later. That flexibility means a lot and cuts a good 20+ minutes off my travel time. Those are the kinds of things you don’t know until you interview, so I think Trish is right…you have to go through the interview process to figure out if the fit is right for you.
I always mention flexible scheduling when talking with candidates during the interview process (if appropriate for the position). We can even flex the schedule for many of our production positions. I find I’m not alone in appreciating this option. It’s a small thing that seems to matter to quite a few people.