There is no painless way to rescind a job offer. But here's how to do it as humanely as possible

It's a predicament that no one wants to be in: you send out a job offer, the candidate accepts, and now, for a number of reasons, you have to rescind the offer.

There is no doubt that this experience is much more painful for the potential employee, especially for people who have already given notice to their previous job, moved or made other significant life changes with a job offer in hand. But it's a growing reality for many, as the search for talent has led some companies, many in the tech sector, to withdraw offers, Wall Street Journal recently reported.< /p>

The reasons are many: the rapid hiring that has occurred over the past year has led companies to rush the onboarding process, resulting in hiring gaps; the impending recession forced companies to quickly implement hiring freezes; and global events, such as the ongoing pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have had unpredictable effects on some businesses.

There's no way to make rescinding a job offer a pleasant experience, says Michele Davenport, founder and CEO of Oakland-based executive coaching firm Mosaic Coaching Solutions. The best thing to do is avoid the situation in the first place through well-paced growth and organized, strategic human resource planning. Treating candidates with dignity and respect is paramount, says Davenport, and leaders must also remember that these interactions reflect back on them in the marketplace; you don't want an already unfortunate situation to escalate into worse PR.

When rescinding a job offer is unavoidable, here's how to make it as painless as possible.

Contact candidates quickly

When you realize you have no choice but to rescind an offer, don't delay: contact the candidate as soon as possible to share the news with empathy. "An email would be too formal and lack the level of humanity that one would appreciate in a situation like this," says Steve Pemberton, director of human resources at management software company Workhuman, based in in Framingham, Massachusetts. Break the bad news as nicely as possible and be as transparent as possible in your explanation, especially if the reasons for canceling the offer are beyond your control. "It needs to be sincere and genuine, and you need to make it clear that you've thought a lot about that person's abilities and talents," adds Pemberton. "So it wasn't a reflection on them at all, but a reflection on the changing circumstances."

Offer any kind of help or compensation you can, but don't expect the candidate to keep their cool or have a clear idea of ​​their next steps. “If they don't have immediate questions, invite them to call you back within 24 hours,” says Davenport. "Then you can have a conversation when they're not shocked by the news." The worst thing to do, according to Davenport and Pemberton, is to completely mask a candidate - which, in addition to being incredibly unprofessional and indifferent, can damage your company's reputation

Help them find other opportunities

If you rescind a job offer, you are not legally obligated to help the candidate find work. But it's a particularly thoughtful thing to do, given that the candidate is not at fault. “Any company should exhaust all possible avenues to try to help this person, in light of the decisions they made based on the job offer presented to them,” Pemberton said. Especially if a candidate has already left their previous job or made major life changes, such as moving house, they might likely need additional support.

One thing a leader can offer, according to Davenport, is access to their industry connections. Offer to give presentations that could be beneficial and see if they would appreciate having their CV sent. A candidate who feels angry or aggrieved by a wi...