What happens if, after you offer a person a job something comes to light that makes you change your mind? Whether that is the result of reference checking or changes within the company that mean you can’t take anyone new on.

Can you just get in touch and say, “Sorry, we’re going to have to withdraw that employment offer”?

The short answer is no; revoking a job offer is legally risky, especially if the person has accepted it. To minimise risk, be transparent from the start of recruitment so candidates know that any offer of employment is conditional on you being satisfied with the results of pre-employment checks. If there’s another reason, you should follow a fair and reasonable process in withdrawing the offer.

To learn more about how to safely withdraw a job offer, read this informative article from HR advisory and software platform, MyHR.