Email template · Onboarding
New hire no-show email
In short
A new hire no-show email goes to someone who accepted an offer but did not arrive on their first day. It checks they are safe, confirms the start time they missed, asks them to reply by a deadline and says what happens to the job if they don't. Below are three templates, an SMS and a follow-up schedule.
When to send it: Text or call within 30 to 60 minutes of the missed start time and send the first email the same morning. Send the final notice one to two business days later if you still have no reply.
New hire no-show email: 4 versions
Same-morning check-in
SubjectWe missed you this morning, [First Name]
Hi [First Name], Today, [Start Date], was your first day as [Job Title], and we were expecting you at [Location] at [Start Time]. We haven't seen or heard from you yet, so I wanted to check that you're OK. If you're running late or something came up, just reply to this email or call/text me at [Phone Number]. If we hear from you by [Same-Day Deadline], there's a good chance we can still get you started today or move you into [Next Orientation Date]. Hope everything is fine. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Next-day follow-up
SubjectYour start date with [Company]: please reply by [Response Deadline]
Hi [First Name], We expected you yesterday, [Start Date], for your first day as [Job Title]. I called on [Call Date] and sent a text, but haven't been able to reach you. We'd still like to have you on the team. Please let me know by [Response Deadline] whether you: - still plan to join, and can start on [Next Orientation Date], or - have decided not to take the job, which is completely fine to tell us. If something serious kept you away, tell me and we'll work out what we can. [Your Name] [Title], [Company] [Phone Number]
Final notice: offer closed
SubjectClosing your offer for [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], We haven't heard from you since your start date of [Start Date], despite calls, texts and emails on [Contact Dates]. Since we need to fill the seat for our [Class or Team Name], we are withdrawing your offer for [Job Title] as of today. If circumstances change, you're welcome to apply again at [Careers Page]. If you have already completed any paid onboarding time, [Payroll Contact] will be in touch about payment. We wish you the best. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
High-volume class (short)
SubjectTraining started today: are you still joining?
Hi [First Name], Your [Job Title] training class started at [Start Time] today and you weren't checked in. Are you still joining us? Reply YES and I'll confirm your seat for [Next Orientation Date], or reply NO and I'll release it to the next candidate. If we don't hear back by [Response Deadline], we'll assume you're no longer interested. [Your Name], [Company] Recruiting
Subject line ideas
- We missed you this morning, [First Name]
- Checking in about your first day
- Are you still joining us as [Job Title]?
- Your first day was today: please call us
- Please reply by [Response Deadline] about your start date
- Closing your offer for [Job Title]
- Can we save your seat in the [Next Orientation Date] class?
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] from [Company]. Your first day started at [Start Time] at [Location] and we haven't seen you. Are you OK and still joining? Text or call me at [Phone Number] by [Same-Day Deadline] so we can hold your spot.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Start Date], [Start Time], [Location], [Same-Day Deadline], [Response Deadline], [Next Orientation Date], [Call Date], [Contact Dates], [Class or Team Name], [Careers Page], [Payroll Contact], [Phone Number], [Your Name], [Title], [Company]
Day-one no-shows are a hiring problem, not a discipline problem
A person who never showed up on day one isn't an employee you manage through the attendance policy. In most cases they took a better offer, got cold feet, or never really meant to start. So the email has a different job than a missed-shift notice: find out quickly whether the hire is still alive, and if not, free the seat for someone else.
In contact centers and BPO operations this happens every class. A common pattern is 10 to 20 percent of a training class failing to arrive on day one, higher for entry-level night shifts and in tight labor markets. A 250-seat center onboarding 30 agents a month can expect three to six empty chairs at 9 a.m. on orientation day. The teams that cope best plan for it: they over-hire by a predictable margin and keep a short list of backup candidates ready to start the following week.
Timing: the first hour matters most
Reach out within an hour of the start time. A short text message works better than email at this stage, because most new hires check their phone long before their inbox. Some people are lost in the parking lot, at the wrong building or waiting at the wrong door. A quick text rescues them.
Suggested sequence:
- Start time + 30 to 60 minutes: SMS and a phone call.
- Same morning: the check-in email, so there is a written record.
- Next business day: the follow-up email with a firm reply deadline.
- One to two business days later: the final notice closing the offer.
Don't stretch this out for a week. Every day the seat sits open in a training class is a day of trainer time and onboarding cost you can't recover, and the backup candidate you could have called is taking another job.
What to include
- The start date, time and place they missed. People do genuinely mix up dates, and spelling it out settles that quickly.
- A simple question: are you OK, and are you still joining?
- An easy way back, such as the next orientation date, if you have one.
- A reply deadline and what happens after it.
- A neutral close in the final notice. No guilt, no lecture.
Keep the tone friendly in the first two messages. Plenty of no-shows turn out to be a sick child, a transit problem or a misunderstanding about which Monday. A warm first contact makes it more likely they reply at all.
Prevent the next one before day one
Most first-day no-shows are visible in advance if you look. Candidates who stop replying after the offer, skip a paperwork deadline or never complete a background check form are the likeliest to vanish. Confirm the start date in writing about a week ahead with a start date confirmation email, then send a reminder the day before with parking, entrance and who to ask for.
Track check-ins on day one in the same place you track attendance, so recruiters can see in real time who has arrived. If the person disappeared earlier in the process, before an interview rather than a start date, the candidate no-show follow-up email is the better fit. The no-show rate is worth reporting by source and by recruiter, because a single job board or a long offer-to-start gap often explains most of it.
Legal and record-keeping notes
Closing an offer for someone who never started is generally low risk in at-will US states, but put it in writing and keep the record with the requisition. If the person reports a medical emergency, a disability-related reason or military orders, pause and talk to HR before withdrawing anything; the ADA and USERRA can apply even before day one. If the new hire completed paid pre-boarding hours, such as online compliance modules, those hours generally have to be paid. Rules vary by state and country, so treat this as general information rather than legal advice.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until the end of the week to reach out, by which time the backup candidate is gone.
- Sending the final notice first. Start with concern, not consequences.
- Keeping the seat open indefinitely because the hiring manager liked the candidate.
- Not recording the reason. "Took another offer" and "never replied" point to different fixes.
- Re-hiring without a note. Flag the record so the same person isn't fast-tracked into the next class without a conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What do you say when a new employee doesn't show up on the first day?
Check they are OK, restate the start date, time and location they missed, and ask them to reply by a specific time. Offer the next start date if you have one. Keep the first message friendly; many day-one no-shows are mix-ups.
Is a new hire no call no show the same as job abandonment?
Not usually. Job abandonment applies to employees who stop coming to work. A first-day no-show often never became an active employee, so most employers simply withdraw the offer in writing after a short follow-up period.
How long should I wait before withdrawing the offer?
One to three business days with at least two contact attempts by phone or text and one by email is typical. In high-volume hiring with a waiting list, many teams close the seat after one business day.
Should I text or email a day one no-show?
Text and call first, because it is faster and people see it. Then email the same day so you have a written record of every attempt.
Do I need to pay a new hire who never showed up?
Only for time they actually worked. If they completed paid pre-boarding tasks or training modules before day one, those hours are typically payable. Check your state's final pay rules.
How do I reduce first-day no-shows?
Shorten the gap between offer and start, confirm the start date a week ahead, send a reminder the day before with practical details, and keep in touch between offer and start. Over-hire slightly for training classes.