Offer acceptance rate

What the research says

Candidates are harder to move than they were a few years ago. In a December 2025 Gartner survey of 3,072 employees, 30% said they would prefer to stay in their current job because of economic volatility, even if they received a better offer.¹ Highly skilled employees were 39% more likely than less skilled employees to stay put.¹

Gartner’s advice is to present roles in terms of stability, team continuity and long-term development, and to give candidates a clear reason why changing jobs is worth the risk.¹ If your acceptance rate is falling, the offer may be answering the salary question while leaving that one open.

Shuffl · HR by the numbers

Many people would turn down a better offer

30%of employees would rather stay in their job than take a better offer, citing economic volatility (Gartner, Dec 2025)

Many people would turn down a better offer: 30% of employees would rather stay in their job than take a better offer, citing economic volatility (Gartner, Dec 2025). Source: Gartner, June 18, 2026.

An example

A 500-person manufacturer saw its offer acceptance rate for engineering roles fall from 88% to 71% in a year, with 17 of 24 offers accepted. The recruiting team called all seven people who declined. Four had taken counteroffers from their current employer. Two said the salary was below what they’d understood from the first call. One had accepted another job during the nine days the offer spent waiting for approval.

The company started sharing the salary range in the first recruiter call and let the engineering director approve any offer inside the range. Over the next two quarters, 19 of 22 offers were accepted, or 86%.

How to improve it

Ask everyone who declines why, and keep a simple log of the reasons. After 10 or 15 declines the pattern is usually clear. Track counteroffers separately, since they call for a different response from pay that’s below market. Look at the rate by role and by hiring manager too, because a company-wide figure can hide one team that loses most of its candidates.

Shuffl · HR by the numbers

An offer process that loses candidates, and one that doesn’t

Often declined

• ✕Salary range first mentioned at the offer stage
• ✕Offer waits a week or more for approval
• ✕Sent by email with no conversation
• ✕Vague on team, start date and first projects

More often accepted

• ✓Range shared on the first call
• ✓Approved within a day or two
• ✓Made by phone by the hiring manager
• ✓Written offer follows the same day with full details

An offer process that loses candidates, and one that doesn’t. Often declined: Salary range first mentioned at the offer stage; Offer waits a week or more for approval; Sent by email with no conversation; Vague on team, start date and first projects. More often accepted: Range shared on the first call; Approved within a day or two; Made by phone by the hiring manager; Written offer follows the same day with full details.