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?

Call from a different number and send an email. Do it as a sort of subtle welfare check because this doesn't usually happen without good reason. Give it 3 working days and if there's no response, start advertising/speak to the second choice. If and when they get back into contact, you/HR can explain they weren't legally bound to the applicant and due to the lack of response assumed they were no longer interested.

I was in a similar situation about 5 years ago and the applicant replied a month later asking why they hadn't recieved their start date, despite not signing a contract and not contacting the company for 4 weeks after we offered them the job.

We have just had this where I work. Successful applicant went radio silence. HR had a process and gave them a set date to respond by or job offer was withdrawn.
No response so offer has been withdrawn.
Similar situation which involves pre employment checks and DBS checks.

In my experience this is because they're not going to show up for the job.

I had an almost identical situation recently (except I do the onboaring myself), no response to anything. Then I left a voicemail along the lines of "if you're starting in 2 weeks I need you to come back to me because you can't start until xyz". The candidate emailed me the same day to say they were withdrawing their application.

It's so annoying, like you I'm now facing another 2 months without the position being filled, after wasting the last few months trying to get things sorted.

I'd send them a sort of welfare check email/text and say if you don't get the paperwork by x date the offer is withdrawn. Or hand them their notice now?

A couple of questions - have you/HR checked the right email is being used? And have you tried calling on the phone or another form of contact (message via linkedin or even snail mail?)

Was it made clear in the offer letter that dbs checks were required for the role? Did the letter or accompanying email include any type of the following wording: 'this offer is conditional on successful dbs checks and a signed contract' ?

If it was clear at offer stage that there were pre-start activities that would need to be completed and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact the individual then I'd say you can email them tomorrow with a final - we haven't heard from you, you haven't completed necessary checks so we are withdrawing the offer as of today.

If it wasn't clear that they had to do stuff pre-start and you can't hand on heart say you've made all reasonable efforts to contact them then you should try an all out effort tomorrow via phone, email, LinkedIn and post saying if we don't hear from you by weds/Thurs then we'll withdraw the offer.

It is a massive pain for you and incredibly rude of them (unless they've experienced a catastrophic life event recently, but you've no way of knowing that)

Did you have a decent second choice

@warmup I disagree with your HR team but that's not much help to you. The risk to the organisation is very low, if that's what they're worried about. Even if the candidate is in an unfortunate situation, it isn't reasonable for an organisation to have to wait until a no-show on the start date to withdraw an offer.

I'd push back firmly with HR if you can - ask them to demonstrate how the organisation is at risk in this situation.

I do get very annoyed by the risk averse nature of some HR people.

I work in a similar setting.

The original letter should have been a conditional offer, stating that the offer of employment was conditional on the candidate completing pre-recruitment checks (references, DBS etc) to your satisfaction. If the candidate does not complete the checks, or the results are unsatisfactory, the job offer lapses. The only question is how long you should reasonably give the candidate to respond.

I would ask HR to write to the candidate by signed-for post and also to ring them, giving a deadline for a response. If you don't hear anything or you don't get an adequate response, I would re-advertise.

Has a start date been agreed?

I agree about phoning from a different number, I did this recently with an employee who was AWOL and they didn't know my number,
Only their line managers and she answered

@Madamswearsalot

have you/HR checked the right email is being used? And have you tried calling on the phone or another form of contact (message via linkedin or even snail mail?)
Email is correct. For my keep warm email I responded onto their acceptance one. Postal copies have been sent and various text messages.

Was it made clear in the offer letter that dbs checks were required for the role? Did the letter or accompanying email include any type of the following wording: 'this offer is conditional on successful dbs checks and a signed contract' ?
Yes. All offers sent or when I verbally offered had the caveat of satisfactory checks etc.

@Regularsizedrudy yes in the offer letter and my verbal offer a start date was agreed pending successful checks etc

I had the opposite experience. I was offered a job verbally and the organisation went quiet for a month. Luckily I hadn't given in my notice on the job I was in, but after three weeks I wrote and said I didn't want to work for them if they couldn't be bothered to send the paperwork. I was snowed under within days, contract, CRB (as it was then), Official Secrets Act, the lot. All too late and within a day or two of the suggested start date.

I have been in this position a couple of time. HR need to send a letter recorded delivery saying unless contact is made by X date it will be assumed they are not interested.

Was there a decent second choice candidate?

I hope the person is OK! Very unprofessional behaviour if they are and they have changed their mind or are waiting for a better offer elsewhere.

Phone them! Do people not call to actually speak to people these days?

If a start date has been given I think HR are right that you should wait until that date and see if they turn up. Even if they have not sent back paperwork they may have (stupidly) thought they can bring it on first day. You will be in murky waters otherwise.

Even things like dbs checks can be done after the start date, though of course not convenient as you’d have to find something else for them to do in the meantime.

I'd call them - or get HR to - to check that your emails have arrived and that they're ok. They might be ill or have had an accident, or have had to drop things to look after someone who's ill, or any number of possible scenarios... If they were a good candidate and you think they'd be good at the job if they're not dead, I don't think a phone call to check what's going on would be too much - this isn't normal behaviour, even if they no longer want the job.

@Spanielsarepainless

I had the opposite experience. I was offered a job verbally and the organisation went quiet for a month. Luckily I hadn't given in my notice on the job I was in, but after three weeks I wrote and said I didn't want to work for them if they couldn't be bothered to send the paperwork. I was snowed under within days, contract, CRB (as it was then), Official Secrets Act, the lot. All too late and within a day or two of the suggested start date.

Official secrets act, what position and organisation was you applying for ?