Gartner HR Research Finds 44% of Prospective Candidates Received Multiple Job Offers in 1Q25; Down 28% From 2023
Announcement posted by Gartner 17 Jun 2025
17 June 2025 — Forty-four percent of prospective job candidates received multiple job offers in their most recent hiring process, according to a Gartner survey. This is down from 51% in 1Q24 and 72% in 1Q23.
The 1Q25 Gartner survey of nearly 3,000 candidates conducted from January to March 2025 revealed 35% of candidates backed out after accepting a job offer in 1Q25, compared to 48% of candidates who reneged after accepting a job offer in 1Q24.
"We're seeing signs of a softening labour market, with fewer candidates getting multiple offers or backing out after accepting a job," said Caroline Ogawa, Director, Research in the Gartner HR practice. "Even with candidates seeing less opportunity in the market, organisations are still struggling to attract talent, as candidates get more selective about the jobs they pursue."
According to Dion Love, Vice President, Advisory in the Gartner HR Practice, "As organisations continue to navigate through the unpredictable business environment, HR leaders must challenge assumptions about how labour market competitiveness tracks with economic cycles and pay close attention to actual candidate behaviour."
Candidates are Prioritising Compensation and Career Growth
The 1Q25 Gartner survey revealed that 53% of respondents cited higher compensation as their main decision driver when accepting an offer (see Figure 1), up 11 points from 1Q24, followed closely by 47% who cited more opportunities for career growth.
"When candidates do accept a new offer, they are prioritising compensation and career growth," said Ogawa. "Organisations need to show they can help candidates get ahead, with either an impressive salary increase or career opportunities."
When evaluating employment offers, candidates are also considering work-life balance (45%), better working conditions (39%), and opportunities to learn new skills (39%). These factors are more commonly prioritised over total rewards, including better healthcare (22%), personal time off (10%) and parental leave (6%).
Figure 1:
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