“There just aren’t any good candidates out there.”
I hear this fairly regularly and sometimes it’s absolutely true. I recruit in markets where there are genuine skills shortages and some jobs are bloody difficult to fill. Current Jobs and Skills Australia data backs that up. In the June quarter of 2026, 58% of employers recruiting technicians and trades workers reported difficulty filling their vacancies.
But sometimes I find the right people. They interview. They’re qualified. The salary works. The client likes them.
And then they turn the job down.
After an interview, I speak to both sides. The client tells me what they thought of the candidate. Then I call the candidate and hear what they thought of the client.
That second conversation can be interesting.
Some tell me the role sounds much bigger than the salary suggests. Some simply didn’t like the interviewer. I’ve had someone tell me they were kept waiting and felt it said something about how the business treated people. Another said they just didn’t get a “warm and cosy feeling” about the place.
I’ve also had candidates walk out knowing plenty about the company, while feeling the company knew very little about them. The interview had been spent telling them about the business rather than properly asking about their skills and experience.
And sometimes it’s the complete opposite. They bloody loved it.
They liked the people, the conversation felt natural, they understood the opportunity and they call me afterwards wanting to know what happens next.
That’s the bit I think employers sometimes forget.
You’re interviewing them. They’re interviewing you.
If you’re recruiting someone who’s already employed, particularly in a specialist market, they’re probably not sitting there desperately hoping you’ll give them a job. They’re deciding whether what you’re offering is better than what they already have.
And that decision isn’t only about salary. It’s the job, the people, the atmosphere, the questions you asked, the ones you didn’t, how organised you were and how the whole thing made them feel. Why Your Best Technician Didn’t Tell You They Were Leaving
If someone turns down my client’s job, I’ll tell the client why. They might not agree with the feedback and that’s fine. Everyone reads a room differently.
But if several suitable candidates start telling me the same thing, I’m going to pay attention. At that point, it’s useful information.
Some roles are genuinely bloody difficult to fill. I know that better than most.
But if you’re finding suitable candidates and repeatedly losing them once they meet you, finding another ten probably isn’t the first thing I’d fix.
Sometimes there isn’t a shortage of people who could do the job. They just don’t want yours.
I’m already having that second conversation, the one candidates don’t have with you. If you’d like to hear what’s actually being said, talk to TMR.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, June quarter 2026. https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/recruitment-experiences-and-outlook-survey/spotlight-articles
