Caught in the notice period trap: When waiting means losing your next job

Amid evolving hiring dynamics, prolonged notice periods are emerging as a key bottleneck in India’s talent market.

“That’s where the notice period asymmetry comes in. While each organisation wants an outgoing employee to serve a long notice period, they want an incoming one to be available immediately,” said Neelabh Shukla, Chief Business Officer, Careernet.

He noted that notice periods often extending up to 90 days are slowing hiring cycles, leading to offer dropouts and reducing actual joinings. As a result, companies increasingly prefer candidates who are immediately available or between jobs.

While the industry is gradually evolving with more flexibility, reducing notice periods to ~30 days could make hiring more efficient and practical for both employers and candidates.

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