Why is it that many companies end a long difficult search process with only one possible candidate and what do they do when that candidate doesn’t accept the offer?

The reality is that most end up back at square one…except this time around the search is more difficult (they just eliminated some percentage of the candidate pool), and they now have fewer recruiters who are not doubt less motivated to spend additional time on a position that clearly will be more difficult to fill than originally thought.

So what’s a company to do? Some contingency planning would help, and it’s not very difficult to do.

The problem is mostly derived from companies that fall in love with their number one and think (most often wrongly) that the #2 just doesn’t compare. More often that not the difference between 1 and 2 is so small that they are practically interchangeable. So why shouldn’t a company increase their odds of filling the job simply by providing the kind of feedback that can keep a #2 in a holding pattern? No reason whatsoever. Of course, the feedback required is straightforward, honest and direct about their status as #2 and a short defined timeline for a response from #1 to the initial offer, because any delay or indication that the company has been less than forthright simply ruins reputations for candidates, companies and recruiters alike.