A fall off is a placed candidate who backs out before starting or leaves within the agency's guarantee period. It usually means the agency owes a refund, a fee credit or a free replacement search, depending on the terms in the client contract.
Staffing and agenciestopic
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A placed candidate who backs out before starting or leaves within the guarantee period, usually meaning a refund or a free replacement.
Fall offs happen for many reasons: a counteroffer from the current employer, a better offer elsewhere, a failed background check, a job that turns out different from what was described, or a poor fit discovered in the first weeks. Some are outside the recruiter's control, but many show warning signs earlier.
Contracts handle fall offs in different ways. Some promise a free replacement within a set number of days, some refund part of the fee on a sliding scale, and some require the client to have paid on time for the guarantee to apply. Read the terms closely, because they decide what a fall off costs you.
Agencies track fall off rates by recruiter, client and role type to spot patterns and fix the process upstream.
Why it matters to recruiters
A fall off can wipe out a fee that a recruiter has already counted toward target, and it strains the client relationship. Preventing fall offs is often cheaper than replacing candidates. It starts with good qualification, honest information about the role and steady contact after the offer is accepted.
An example from a recruiting desk
Take a senior accountant who has just accepted an offer through a recruiter. During weekly check ins before the start date, the candidate mentions his manager has hinted at a promotion. The recruiter talks through why he started looking, and the client calls him to confirm the role details. He resigns, turns down the counteroffer and starts on time.
Tips that help
Ask every candidate early what would make them stay where they are.
Prepare candidates for a counteroffer before they resign.
Stay in contact weekly from acceptance until the end of the guarantee period.
Write clear guarantee terms that define refund, credit and replacement rules.
Mistakes to avoid
Treating an accepted offer as a closed deal and going quiet.
Overselling the role, so the new hire leaves once reality sets in.
Frequently asked questions
What is a guarantee period in recruiting?
It is the time after a placement during which the agency will replace the candidate or refund part of the fee if they leave. The length and terms are set in the client contract.
Does the agency always refund the fee after a fall off?
Not always. Many contracts offer a free replacement first, or a sliding credit. Terms often require the client to pay the invoice on time and exclude cases such as layoffs or role changes.
How can recruiters predict a fall off?
Warning signs include slow replies after the offer, vague answers about resigning, mention of other interviews and changing start dates. Raise these early with the candidate and the client.
