Why good finance candidates drop out of your hiring process (and how to fix it)

When a shortlisted accountant withdraws, the reason given is usually polite: "I've decided to stay where I am" or "I've accepted another role". The real reason is often something in the process. These are the ones we hear most from finance candidates in the South West.

1. The job wasn't clear

A job description that lists every task finance has ever done tells a candidate nothing about what success looks like. Strong candidates want to know what the first six months will involve, what's broken and what they'll own. Write a one-paragraph "why this role exists now" and share it at first interview.

2. Silence after the interview

A week without feedback is read as a no, and candidates start saying yes elsewhere. Commit to feedback within 48 hours of each stage, even if it's "we need two more days".

3. The salary moved

Few things damage trust more than a range that drops at offer stage, or a number that was never agreed internally. Benchmark first, agree the range with whoever signs it off, and share it early.

4. Too many stages, too many people

Every stage should answer a different question: can they do the technical work, will they work well with the people they'll support, will they stay? If two stages answer the same question, merge them.

5. Nobody sold the opportunity

Interviews are two-way. A Finance Manager weighing two offers will choose the business that showed them where the role goes, who they'd learn from and why finance matters there. Make sure at least one interviewer is there to sell, not only to assess.

6. The counter-offer arrived and nobody was ready

In our own recent offers, about one in three met a counter-offer. If you haven't discussed it before the offer, you're relying on luck. Here's how to plan for it.

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