Sooner or later every recruitment team sees a placement fall through: a candidate withdraws after accepting the offer, does not turn up on the first day or leaves within the first weeks. In an Applicant Tracking System the quickest reaction is often to create a fresh vacancy and start again. That feels clean, but it throws away the shortlist, the interview notes and the client agreements you built up, and it hides in your reporting that the role was already filled once. Reopening the original vacancy in a structured way keeps that history and usually leads to a new hire faster.
The situation looks different per segment. Recruitment agencies often have a replacement arrangement with the client and need to show what they did within that period. Staffing teams see workers drop out before or during the first shifts and need a replacement within days. Secondment organisations sometimes lose a consultant at the start of an assignment and have to propose someone else to the same client. In executive search a candidate who withdraws late can affect the whole search assignment. In-house recruitment teams deal with new employees who leave during the probation period.
Reopen the original vacancy, do not create a new one
Set the vacancy back to an open status rather than copying it. The vacancy then keeps its structured brief, its single owner, the full pipeline and the job advert history. If the vacancy was already closed, add a note to the documented close reason stating that it was reopened, and when. Only create a separate vacancy when the role itself has really changed, for example a different level, location or contract type, and link the two so the history stays traceable.
Record why the placement fell through
Before you start searching again, record in a fixed field what happened: withdrew before signing, withdrew after signing, did not start, left during the first weeks or was let go during probation. Add the date and a short factual note. Use the same list of reasons as for a candidate withdrawal, extended with options for the period after the start date. Over time this shows whether placements fall through mostly because of counter-offers, unclear agreements about the role or a long gap between acceptance and start, which is exactly where planned contact until the start date helps.
Look at the existing pipeline first
The fastest route to a new hire is usually already in the vacancy. Review the candidates who reached the final stages and check whether they are still available and interested, as described in re-engaging runner-up candidates. Check the recorded notice periods, salary expectations and interview outcomes, and update them where they have changed. A candidate who is now in process for another vacancy should be visible to everyone before anyone calls them. Only after this review should you decide whether new sourcing is needed.
Agree with the client or hiring manager
Inform the client or hiring manager promptly and record what you agreed: whether the brief is still correct, which candidates may be presented again and by when you expect to propose someone. For agencies the agreed terms and any arrangement around the guarantee period determine whether the replacement falls under the original assignment. Keep this agreement on the vacancy and the client record, so that colleagues and the weekly progress report show the same picture.
Decide how you count time-to-fill
A reopened vacancy can distort your figures if everyone counts it differently. Choose one rule and apply it to all vacancies: for example, keep the original open date for the total duration and also record the reopen date, so you can report both the full duration and the time needed for the replacement. Record the fallen-through placement as a separate outcome so the original source and recruiter remain visible, in line with measuring time-to-fill reliably. Report the number of reopened vacancies per period without inventing targets: the trend and the reasons are more useful than a single number.
Keep the candidate experience in mind
Candidates who were rejected earlier for this vacancy deserve a careful approach. Explain honestly that the role is open again and do not pressure anyone. Use shared message templates for the standard steps, and consider automating repeated steps such as a task for the owner as soon as the vacancy is reopened. Smart suggestions for matching candidates can be a secondary aid, but the recruiter decides who is approached and how.
A practical start
- Agree that a fallen-through placement reopens the original vacancy
- Add a fixed list of reasons for placements that fall through, with a date
- Review runner-up candidates and their current availability before new sourcing
- Record agreements with the client or hiring manager on the vacancy
- Choose one rule for time-to-fill on reopened vacancies and keep the reopen date
- Discuss reopened vacancies and their reasons in the weekly review
A setback you can learn from
A placement that falls through is disappointing, but in an Applicant Tracking System it does not have to mean starting from zero. By reopening the original vacancy, recording the reason, using the existing pipeline and agreeing clearly how you count, you shorten the route to a new hire and build up insight into why placements fail. Make reopened vacancies a fixed item in your weekly pipeline review and your monthly report for management.