After three months of searching, a client finally identified the perfect candidate. The hiring team had been methodical: resumes screened, structured interviews executed, hiring assessments analyzed, and references vetted. By every measure—skills, leadership style, emotional intelligence, and cultural fit—this person was the ideal hire. When the offer was extended, the candidate accepted within 24 hours. The team celebrated. They had found their superstar.
Convinced the hard part was over, they shifted their focus back to daily operations. Two weeks would pass quickly. There was no onboarding prep, no outreach, and no communication aside from a brief email confirming the start date. A week later, they received an unexpected email. The superstar had reconsidered. After long conversations with their current employer, they decided to stay. The hiring team was stunned. Not only was the position vacant again, but their confidence in finding a similar level of talent had diminished.
This is not an uncommon scenario. Many organizations treat the offer acceptance as the finish line. In reality, it is the start of a critical final phase: protecting the hire. In the case above, the hiring team failed to manage the most vulnerable part of the recruiting process—the time between acceptance and start date. That window is where offers unravel, especially when the candidate is someone their current employer cannot afford to lose.
In this article, you will learn:
- Why The Two-Week Notice Period Puts the Hire at Risk
- How Employers Fight to Retain Superstars
- What Hiring Teams Must Do After the Offer Is Accepted
- How to Keep Your Future Employee Engaged Before Day One
Why The Two-Week Notice Period Puts the Hire at Risk
It is both expected and advisable that candidates give their current employer a minimum of two weeks' notice. This not only reflects professional integrity but also signals how they may behave when eventually leaving your organization. Integrity on the way out, often mirrors behavior on the way in. Respecting the transition process should be seen as a positive indicator of character, not a delay in joining.
However, during those two weeks, your candidate exists in a state of transition. They are no longer fully committed to their current role, but they are not yet embedded in your organization. This liminal period is exactly when retention efforts ramp up. If you are hiring a true top performer, their employer will almost certainly notice. Counteroffers will be made. Executives may get involved. Their existing team may express personal disappointment. These gestures can be persuasive.
While your team has likely moved on to other priorities, the competitor is treating this like a crisis. They are not simply responding—they are campaigning. And unless your organization stays connected and active, the superstar may feel torn. Unaddressed uncertainty has a way of growing in silence.
How Employers Fight to Retain Superstars
It is naïve to assume that once an offer is accepted, the negotiation is over. For the current employer, the resignation of a high-performing employee is often the beginning of their most aggressive retention effort. They understand the value of the individual. They know what motivates them. In some cases, they are prepared to restructure roles or increase compensation within hours of the resignation.
Emotional intelligence in the workplace plays a significant role here. Employers leverage relationships. They appeal to loyalty, future growth, and unfinished work. Superstars often have deep emotional ties to their teams. These bonds can be hard to break, especially when leveraged skillfully during a high-pressure retention campaign.
In these cases, a simple offer letter is not enough. Hiring teams must continue recruiting even after the offer is signed.
What Hiring Teams Must Do After the Offer Is Accepted
The period between offer acceptance and start date is not a passive waiting game. It is a strategic window that should be managed with precision. Here are four concrete actions hiring teams should take to reduce the risk of retraction:
First, order personalized business cards and ship them directly to the candidate’s home. This small gesture has an outsized psychological impact. It signals belonging, immediacy, and commitment. The message is clear: we already see you as part of the team.
Second, schedule an in-person coffee or lunch during the notice period. This keeps the connection active and allows your team to address any lingering questions or concerns. Personal interaction reinforces momentum. It reminds the candidate why they made the decision in the first place.
Third, engage the family. A small gift or handwritten note to the candidate’s spouse or partner can go a long way. The transition affects more than just the individual. Recognizing the support system builds goodwill and can help solidify commitment.
Finally, start inclusion early. Add the new hire to appropriate company-wide emails or team announcements. This reinforces the idea that they are already part of the leadership team. It also allows them to observe the internal dynamics and become familiar with key players before their first day.
How to Keep Your Future Employee Engaged Before Day One
The most effective hiring teams treat onboarding as a continuum that begins the moment a candidate accepts. The objective is to shorten the emotional distance between acceptance and assimilation. The more the candidate feels involved, the less likely they are to be swayed by a competing narrative.
This approach aligns with hiring best practices and reflects a deeper understanding of emotional intelligence in the workplace. It acknowledges that professionals do not make decisions based on salary or job title alone. Belonging, alignment, and engagement are equally powerful motivators.
Hiring assessments may help you identify the right candidate, but they do not close the deal. Executive leadership coaching often emphasizes the importance of clarity and consistency during transitions. This is one such transition. Leadership training programs regularly stress the impact of small gestures in building trust. These are not symbolic efforts—they are strategic tools in securing top-tier talent.
Companies that fail to engage during this period often pay the price in both time and reputation. Word travels quickly in high-performance networks. Losing a superstar after they have accepted can signal to other candidates that your organization lacks follow-through.
Takeaways
Hiring a superstar is not simply about identifying and attracting talent. It is about protecting the investment during the most vulnerable part of the process. The two weeks between acceptance and start date should be managed intentionally. Silence during this period invites doubt. Presence reinforces commitment.
Order the business cards. Schedule the coffee. Involve the family. Keep the communication lines open. Because when your competitor is trying to win back what they lost, doing nothing is not a neutral act—it is a risk.
Topics:
