To ask any HR experts what I do in this situation.

[warmup]

Have name changed as may be outing! And sorry to post here but I'm here for the traffic!!

My HR department are useless so here for some advice.
At the start of April I offered a job to a successful applicant. They asked for some time to think over the offer (absolutely fine and never expect any different!) and came back the following day to accept via email. I responded to the email saying that's great and it will now be handled by HR.
HR went out to the applicant the following week with all paperwork etc and since then we have had silence. I have also emailed the applicant to do a general keeping warm email with no response at all.
Applicant was supposed to start in two weeks time but I can't get hold of them... I asked HR what we do now e.g do I call, do we give them a deadline etc to have a response of 'we are not sure we've never had this situation before - people have always either responded whether they are accepting the formal paperwork or whether they are not'!!!

So what do I do? To say I'm annoyed is an understatement. If they don't want the job absolutely fine but they should really let me/HR know so that we can go back out to recruit. I'm in a sticky position team wise as well so I'm struggling as it is and the thought of having to wait for another 2 months to get someone new in is not great!!!

Can any HR wizzes offer any advice on the protocol for this?

Hopeful bump!!

Have they signed the contract?

Seems odd unless there staying somewhere that's not contactable, is say it would depend on what contracts were previously signed as to how the company is binded by the current situation, the devil in the details so to speak.

If there is nothing to bind the company to offering the position, as a backup id begin advertising the position.

The candidate has accepted the offer via email - is there a reason that you think they won't turn up on the day, OP? Did the HR letter specifically ask them to return/respond ahead of the starting day?

Presumably you've tried to call them as well as email? If so and you've still had no response, I'm HR expert but surely you've reached the point where you have to call their bluff? I'd be inclined to send one last email, cc-ing in HR, saying that as you've had no response from them and they've not returned the signed documents required for them to start, you have to draw the conclusion that they no longer want the role and you will be re-advertising it. If that doesn't prompt them to getting in touch, I don't know what will.

I'd send them one final email saying you will readvertise the role on X date and then breathe a sigh of relief you found out how unreliable they are before you hired them. Is your 2nd choice candidate still available to save re-interviewing?

Sorry, meant I'm NO HR expert!

@chicdancer

The candidate has accepted the offer via email - is there a reason that you think they won't turn up on the day, OP? Did the HR letter specifically ask them to return/respond ahead of the starting day?

They have not signed a contract or anything for that matter as they have gone radio silence! Before they start they need a DBS check etc and they knew this

@trilbydoll

I'd send them one final email saying you will readvertise the role on X date and then breathe a sigh of relief you found out how unreliable they are before you hired them. Is your 2nd choice candidate still available to save re-interviewing?

This is what I want to do but HR seem to think we shouldn't do that yet such a pain and obviously major major alarm bells are ringing.

Has anyone tried to call them?!

Just contact the 2nd best choice

Firstly I would try to call them and find out they have paperwork etc & will they be accepting that’s it - it’s not complicated

Also this is why you should have imposed a deadline to respond. My company gave deadlines at every stage of the application process, from 24 hours to 14 days depending on the requested information.

Have you sent stuff signed for? Are you sure they are not in hospital or something? I would send something by post that had to be acknowledged when it was delivered.

My husband works in recruitment and you’d be surprised how often things like this happen. They’ve either got cold feet or are waiting for the outcome of another interview. Hope things work out OP.

Has anyone called them?

Call them from a new number?

They might have had an accident or have covid and be in hospital so I'd keep trying to call

I’d try calling them because sometimes emails do get lost or end up in spam folders? If the email you have isn’t working, that’s when you try phoning them. So, yes you call them.

They're probably waiting to hear about their first choice job, which isn't yours.

Alternatively - they may have had a bereavement or similar.

I would send one email saying that as they have failed to respond to e-mails and phone calls and have made no attempt to contact the office via any other method you are withdrawing the offer of work and there is no further communication required from them as the position will be 're - advertised .
This is very poor form and you don't need someone as unreliable as this,especially when there are so many people looking for employment.

@KarmaStar

I would send one email saying that as they have failed to respond to e-mails and phone calls and have made no attempt to contact the office via any other method you are withdrawing the offer of work and there is no further communication required from them as the position will be 're - advertised . This is very poor form and you don't need someone as unreliable as this,especially when there are so many people looking for employment.

But in the OP, they said they’d only emailed, no one has tried calling....

To confirm, HR do all on boarding, I have zero involvement in the process other than a couple of keeping warm emails and to be on hand for any job specific questions.

Candidate has been sent messages via post, email and text. Again other than emails this is not my process, I have to rely on HR.

For what it's worth the job is working with vulnerable teenagers so there is a lot of pre paperwork, checks etc so they cannot just turn up on the day and are have been told this is the case.

I'm fully prepared to be wrong and them be in an unfortunate situation that prevents them from accessing anything to do with this but I'm not sure what I do about that (I wish HR were even slightly competent!!)

Can you email saying you're worried the paperwork has gone astray as you haven't received it yet asking for an urgent response and then follow up with a call a day or so later.

If you need DBS forms completed so you can submit them before they start, then maybe you can use that as a reason for needing an urgent response.