I have been doing this for a long time – 22 years.  And from 2001-2022 – I think I could count on my hand the number of times a signed deal has been reneged on (the candidate signed it and then several days/weeks later backed out).
 
It has happened 4 times this month.
 
My advice to every client moving forward will be to recruit for the position until the hired candidate starts. Maybe not actively interview – but continue to source and keep options open. I need to protect their interests and as such I can no longer state without equivocation that a signed contract is the end of the process. It simply does not carry the weight that it once did.
 
I am by nature someone that hates to make generational comparisons – linking a birth year to ethics and morality is a fool’s errand. But something has changed. Maybe it is the fact that companies through COVID and other times of financial uncertainty had zero issue slashing their workforce – loyalty is a two-way street. Or maybe it is merely a reflection of a hot market. But either way – it is not over until they pass through your doors.
 
In the last instance – the bridge was burnt, and it will come back to haunt this candidate. There is a way to pull out of a signed deal and wow did she not do it correctly.  It is not six degrees of Kevin Bacon in the luxury hotel world – so rest assured that you will be judged by how you handle your toughest moments. Honesty is the only way to handle this – the second you change your mind – tell them. Allow them to put the wheels of recovery in motion. Be transparent and do not be vague. 
 
We are not judged by how we sail in calm seas – it is how we navigate the storms that leave an impression.
 
I love my job.
 
             I love my job.
 
                           I love my job.

Brent Billing is a Senior Director of Client Services at Lecours Group. He has been with Lecours for 22 years.