Right now, all across the country, people are seeing out their last day in their current job. Some are leaving because of a major life change, like retirement or moving to a new city. For those people, there will be farewell parties and promises to stay in touch.

Executive recruitment can be a monumental responsibility. If you’re involved in the selection process, you know that you’re not just hiring an employee. You’re bringing in a fresh face who will immediately influence your company’s strategy, goals, and culture. It’s not something you can rush. That said, you might run into problems if you’re not quick enough to fill a vacant position in the C-suite.

Over the past 18 months, the companies I work with have done a remarkably impressive job of adjusting to the so-called New Normal of remote work, hybrid teams, and Zoom meetings. But there’s one issue that seems to come up time and time again. Whenever I discuss recruitment, the first thing they say is often, “I can’t wait to go back to in-person interviews.”

The recruitment process can be grueling, especially when you’re trying to fill a high-level position. That’s why it’s so disheartening when you finally find an ideal person, only for them to say, “thanks, but no thanks.” There are many reasons that candidates decline job offers, and there are lots of things you can do to improve your odds.

Unemployment rates are at an all-time high, which might make you think that employers hold all the cards in today’s recruitment market. In fact, many businesses are finding it harder than ever to fill vacant positions, and competition is especially ferocious at a senior level. Landing a top-tier candidate is a real challenge that requires an airtight recruitment process.

In today’s candidate-driven market, there is a stigma around securing elite candidates, and that it takes paying them top dollar to come to work for your company. And if you cannot, then your pool of prospective employees starts to dwindle.