Four Ways Companies Are Still Losing Great Candidates
The hiring market is shifting. We’re seeing more strong candidates open to conversations, more movement in the market, and, in some sectors, a little less leverage sitting exclusively on the candidate side of the table.
But that doesn’t mean great candidates are going to wait around, take a below-market salary, or fit neatly into an outdated idea of the “perfect” resume. In fact, we’re still watching clients lose excellent candidates for the same avoidable reasons.
1. Speed matters. A lot. If you like someone, move.
This is probably the single biggest, and most frustrating, way we see clients lose great candidates. Strong candidates are rarely having just one conversation. Even in a market where more people are looking, the best candidates have options.
When a company waits a week to provide feedback, takes another two weeks to coordinate the next interview, or adds three more people to the process at the last minute, that candidate isn’t sitting patiently on the sidelines. They’re continuing to interview, taking calls from recruiters, and building relationships with other potential employers.
And momentum matters. A candidate can leave a great first interview genuinely excited about an opportunity, but enthusiasm has a shelf life. Every unnecessary delay gives that excitement a chance to cool, and gives another company an opportunity to create momentum of its own. We’ve seen clients go from being a candidate’s clear first choice to losing them simply because another organization moved faster.
Speed also sends a message
Five rounds of interviews spread over six weeks may feel thorough internally, but to a candidate it can look like indecision, poor communication, too many decision-makers, or an organization that struggles to get things done. Remember: you’re interviewing the candidate, but the candidate is interviewing you, too. Your hiring process is often their first real glimpse into how your company operates.
That doesn’t mean skipping due diligence or making a rushed hire. It means creating an efficient process before the search begins: know who needs to meet the candidate, get those people aligned, provide feedback quickly, and be prepared to make a decision when you find the right person. If there are unavoidable delays, communicate them. Silence is where candidates start making assumptions, and entertaining other offers.
One of the most dangerous phrases in recruiting is, “We really like them, but let’s see who else is out there.”
Sometimes there is someone better out there. But while you’re looking for them, the excellent candidate already sitting in front of you may become someone else’s excellent hire. When you find someone who checks the important boxes, fits the culture, and gets your team excited, don’t confuse moving thoughtfully with moving slowly. Great candidates don’t stay available forever.
2. Know what you’re actually looking for
Before you start interviewing, get aligned on the must-haves versus the nice-to-haves. If every candidate causes the team to rethink the job description, compensation, reporting structure, or required experience, you’re not conducting a search; you’re figuring out the role in real time.
That can be especially problematic when multiple stakeholders are involved. If one person wants a strategic leader, another wants a hands-on operator, and a third is holding out for someone with an incredibly specific background, you can spend months searching for a unicorn who may not exist. Meanwhile, very strong candidates who could actually do the job are being passed over because they don’t match a profile that keeps changing.
Do the work upfront. Agree on:
- What the person truly needs to accomplish
- Which experience is essential
- Where you can be flexible
- What success in the role will look like
Your recruiter can help challenge assumptions and tell you what the market is actually producing, but ultimately, the hiring team needs to be aligned enough to recognize the right candidate when they meet them.
3. Stop automatically rejecting candidates for movement on their resumes
The days when everyone stayed with an employer for seven to ten years are largely behind us. Companies restructure. Leadership changes. Private equity acquisitions alter organizations overnight. Roles are eliminated. Candidates are recruited away for bigger opportunities. Hospitality and wellness professionals relocate, follow great leaders, open properties, take on turnaround assignments, and make strategic moves to grow their careers. Plus, COVID changed the hospitality industry forever, and many candidates have moved around since then to try to find their ideal fit.
There are also simply more career paths available today. People take entrepreneurial opportunities, consulting assignments, interim leadership roles, or positions that give them exposure to a new part of the business. And yes, sometimes people take a job and discover that it isn’t what was represented during the interview process. Staying another five years simply to make the resume look better isn’t necessarily a sign of good judgment.
Patterns matter, but so does context
Ten unexplained six-month stints deserve a conversation. But that’s the key: have the conversation. Ask why someone moved. Look at what they accomplished while they were there. Consider whether each move represented greater responsibility, broader scope, a better organization, or a logical next step. Context matters far more than an arbitrary number of years on a resume. You could be eliminating an exceptional candidate before you ever learn the story behind their career.
4. Your 2019 salary range may not work in 2026
Compensation has changed significantly, and strong candidates know their value. If your salary range hasn’t evolved in years, the market isn’t going to adjust itself to accommodate your budget.
This is another area where listening to the market matters. If candidate after candidate with the experience you want is coming in $30,000 above your target salary, you probably don’t have a candidate problem. You have a compensation problem.
That doesn’t mean every company needs to be the highest payer in the market. Culture, benefits, flexibility, growth opportunities, quality of leadership, bonus potential, and the overall opportunity absolutely matter. But there must be reasonable alignment between the level of talent you’re seeking and what you’re prepared to pay for it. You may simply be shopping for a candidate who no longer exists at that price point.
The bottom line
Be clear about what you need. Be flexible enough to recognize talent that may not come in the exact package you envisioned. Pay attention to what the market is telling you. And when you find someone great, move.
