Top 5 Reasons Skilled Workers Reject Job Offers

1. Compensation and/or Benefits Are Not Competitive

Not offering competitive wages and/or benefits is one of the primary reasons skilled employees reject employment offers. Skilled professionals are in high demand in today’s economy and builders must offer competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain them. The best workers are generally already employed, so if wage and benefits packages do not fulfill an employee’s expectations, he or she might reject the offer and wait for other opportunities.

2. Lack of Stability

Though pay is important, the perceived stability of a given contractor is increasingly important to today’s workers. Skilled craft workers are looking for stable, long-term opportunities and will care about the health of a builder’s project pipeline in their area.

3. Scarcity of Advancement Opportunities

Skilled professionals are continuously looking for ways to expand and improve their abilities. If a job offer does not include enough prospects for advancement such as training, development programs, or promotions the worker may decline it. Advancement opportunities are linked to stability; the more a skilled worker can learn, get better at their trade and diversify their skills the more opportunity they will have over the long term and the more stable their prospects will be.

4. Poor Workplace Culture

Like perceived stability, company culture is increasingly influencing worker decisions to accept or decline job offers. Candidates are more likely to reject offers if company culture does not align with their values and beliefs. Today’s worker cares more and more about how a company treats its people and how it gives back to the surrounding community. Poor culture can be caused by a poor work environment, a lack of work-life balance or a lack of growth possibilities.

5. Ineffective Communication

A skilled craft worker may reject a job offer due to poor communication throughout the recruitment process. Skilled workers prefer to work for organizations that communicate in a straightforward, honest, and unambiguous manner. Contractors expect workers to show up for interviews on time and prepared, and workers expect the same. Too often companies fial to notify candidates of their status, and miss the opportunity to leave a positive impression with workers who even though they may be wrong for a current opportunity could be useful in the future and will most certainly tell their friends about their experiences. When a company fails to communicate effectively during the recruitment process it can lead to confusion, misunderstandings and in the end a job offer that is refused.

Root Causes

Skilled workers who may otherwise be perfect for certain roles will turn down job offers because of what they perceive to be poor pay, a lack of stability and/or advancement opportunities, poor company culture or ineffective communication during the hiring process. Skilled workers are more likely to reject employment offers and seek out better opportunities when these factors are in play.

Tips To Attract Skilled Workers To Join Your Company

1. Provide competitive wages and benefits packages that are market-based. Pay attention to wages for specific trades in specific cities – do not try to use the same guidelines across differentiated roles.

2. Showcase the stability of your business and project pipeline in specific regions. Make sure candidates understand that you are investing in people and in their cities for the long haul.

3. Provide several opportunities for advancement through training, development initiatives and promotions.

4. Create a healthy company culture that values safety, work-life balance, career advancement and employee engagement.

5. Throughout the recruitment process, communicate effectively and transparently. Treat skilled craft workers the way you would expect to be treated.