ISE members got together to share their challenges with reneges and what they’re doing to mitigate risk.
Most employers have felt that sting when a top candidate, who seemed excited and committed, suddenly pulls out weeks or days before their start date.
Reneges are a regular feature of early careers recruitment and over the last couple of years ISE data shows the rate at 7%, but this year members feel there has been a change. Already employers are reporting particularly high reneges on internships, sometimes double on last year, and they anticipate a similar trend for graduate programmes.
It’s a tight market and reneges flourish in this environment. Jobs are scarce, so students hedge their bets and accept multiple offers. ISE members including AMS, Pathway CTM, Sten 10, Fourthwall, Amberjack and Gradconsult got together at this year’s Student Recruitment Conference to find solutions.
This was followed by a roundtable with more than 20 employers. Spanning industries from building and engineering to legal, tech and public sectors, it highlighted the scale of the challenge as well as real-life examples of solutions that work.
Renege challenges
Delayed decisions: Candidates back out at the last minute or just don’t turn up leaving employers with little time to backfill roles – a job is left vacant that another student could have taken.
Brand limitations: Despite efforts to stay engaged, branding power and perceived prestige of other firms remain influential.
Location preferences: Many students prioritise desirable locations such as London. More rural locations can be less appealing to those who prefer cities.
Sector nuance: Reneges are more prevalent in certain sectors. For example, higher-paying roles in tech or scientists opt to study a PhD. Conversely, in sectors with fewer job opportunities (eg. post-tech redundancies), candidates can be more committed.
Changing priorities: There is less commitment to specific career paths and increased openness to multiple options including switching industries.
Monitoring and prediction: Limited tools or data protection concerns restrict tracking engagement effectively.
Rotational programmes: Reneges can be particularly high for rotational programmes, which may lack specificity, reducing commitment and emotional attachment to a role.
Reserve list gaps: Timing issues with informing reserve lists too early lead to unfilled roles when candidates renege late. If reserve lists aren’t kept warm, candidates can lose interest by the time they are needed.
How to beat reneges
1. Make the offer moment personal
It’s not just about delivering an offer; it’s about how you deliver it. Make students feel like more than a number by personalising the offer conversation to reinforce why they were chosen.
Celebrate their success in a meaningful way and kick-start activity with a gift, arrange a welcome event or send a graphic that they can share to peers on social media.
Take this approach right the way through pre-boarding. Provide a development report based on their performance which will start with them on day one.
2. Start building loyalty early
A long silence between the offer and the onboarding process is where doubt creeps in and competing offers gain appeal, so maintain a consistent connection. Every interaction should feel part of a joined-up journey - a clear link between the application, the offer, and the start date.
Introduce one consistent point of contact - a recruiter, line manager, or future team member. A single, familiar voice helps build trust and loyalty. Keep the momentum going with a buddy or mentor to provide insights from a peer perspective, introduce current trainees and other stakeholders over time, so they can start to build their internal network.
Strong relationships not only help mitigate reneges in the first instance, but also help develop open and honest communication channels that will make easier conversations around reneging.
3. Be transparent
Be transparent about the process, offer support and encourage candidates to keep you informed. Also, be upfront about rural locations or desk-specific roles to avoid mismatched expectations. They should have a realistic view of the opportunity and what’s involved right from the start.
Also, don’t hesitate to re-screen to clarify candidates' commitment early, especially for hard-to-fill or less glamorous roles.
4. Blend online and in-person keep-warm activities
Create a programme of online and in-person keep warm activities from newsletters highlighting real stories, updates, and events to monthly drop-ins, webinars, virtual events and online communities.
As well as company information, help candidates picture the everyday reality of working life such as what people wear to work, what lunch is like and whether there are after-work activities or social events.
While virtual communication helps you to deliver a convenient, regular and consistent message, students are more likely to accept and stick with offers from employers they’ve met in person.
When candidates can visualise themselves in your workplace, they start to imagine a future with you. A visit to your office, a lunch-and-learn session, or even a casual coffee meet-up can go a long way in reducing anxiety and uncertainty.
If security measures are too tight to take them on site, consider getting people together at a nearby location for a summer BBQ, invite senior stakeholders and current graduates and apprentices.
And don’t forget to bring parents along in the process. Inviting parents to events helps secure buy-in, especially when brand recognition is low.
5.Create a sense of community
Create a sense of community through adding new hires to a Teams channel or creating a virtual group on WhatsApp or LinkedIn.
This provides a useful space to make introductions and form bonds. But, not only do virtual communications foster peer relationships, they can help spot disengaged candidates to follow up with. Rather than ask if they are going to renege, ask how it’s going and give them an opportunity to keep you informed.
Elizabeth Hoy, Resourcing Advisor for early careers at BDO explained, “It’s important to keep on top of who's actually joining and engaging with any of these activities, like pre-boarding platforms, groups and events, because that's a sign of how engaged they are in the process. We have LinkedIn groups, and if someone hasn’t joined them it’s a sign that they’re probably not committed.”
6. Work with universities
Pressure to secure a job early can increase renege rates, especially if students feel rushed into accepting the wrong role. A more transparent and supportive process benefits everyone.
Some students may unintentionally renege due to a lack of understanding around professional etiquette or pressure from family and peers. Universities can play a role in educating students on job offer etiquette, timelines, and what employers expect.
Stephen Isherwood, joint CEO, Institute of Student Employers said, “Students shouldn’t be afraid to say that they’re backing out and we need to help them with the etiquette. Leaving it late means there isn’t time to backfill positions. Don’t just not turn up or leave it until the last minute, let employers know your decision as soon as possible so that another student can have the opportunity.”
Partnerships with universities can also help keep the relationship alive through a student’s final year. Consider offering support on dissertation topics or invite candidates to pitch a project related to their future role.
7. Manage over-hiring and reserve lists
Employers with rotational programmes are more likely to over-hire as they have flex in the model. Over-hiring numbers are often based on looking at previous years’ reneges. However, this is harder to manage with a hire-to-desk model where reserve lists can be more effective.
Transparency, managing expectations and regular engagement are important for reserve lists. One employer uses a ‘silver medallist’ list, as an output from assessment centres. They regularly engage with ‘runners-up’ who are kept warm to fill reneged roles.
8. Multiple cohorts
Having multiple cohorts, reopening the pipeline or having ad-hoc starts can help backfill roles from reneges. Implementing late-start cohorts can also be useful for mitigating high last-minute dropouts.
“We have multiple cohorts for last minute reneges. If we can't fill for that particular cohort, we'll then try and move them through to the next one available. For us, it's September and December. That helped bridge the gap and we have resource to meet the needs of those trainees. There’s a larger window between January and September, so we do sometimes look at more ad hoc, immediate recruitment. Where possible, we always try and merge them in or bump them to the next spot,” explained Steffan Edwards at Saffery.
9. Enlist technology
Pre-boarding platforms and community-building tech, for example Connectr, Eli and Meet and Engage, can help employers share cultural, role-specific, and benefits information as well as connect candidates with peers and other stakeholders.
Reducing reneges isn’t just about locking candidates in, it’s about making them want to stay. If we nurture relationships, personalise the experience, and help candidates feel seen and supported, we’ll see stronger commitment, and fewer last-minute surprises.