What on earth do you do when a candidate is enthusiastic throughout the interview process, has received an informal offer but then they then hear only negative things about the company from friends.

This ep is my advice on how to handle this awkward situation based on a candidate I had that was pre-closed but then called after talking to 5 industry friends and said, “I don’t know what to say Brett, I don’t think I can take this job”. I was pretty stunned but recruitment isn’t about forcing someone to take a job it’s about understanding the information.

If you’ve got a candidate who is telling you they’ve heard negative things about a clients company…

Lean into it! Get the candidate to establish some tangible negatives that you can take back to the client.

Warning: It obviously has the potential to blow up in your face! But trusting your gut and using this tact can really pay off.