Two-Timer Trouble New hire being courted by another company? Now you can fight back.

Erika Mangrum was thrilled with the new acupuncturist she'dhired to work at Iatria Spa and Health Center, her 62-person dayspa in Raleigh, North Carolina. "He accepted, and we turneddown all the other candidates," says the president of the $3million company.

Mangrum, 38, looked forward to the employee's arrival."Then," she recalls, "he opted out." Afteraccepting the job, but before reporting for duty, the candidateinformed Mangrum the job wasn't going to work out afterall.

Mangrum had to go back to the other candidates she'd turnedaway and say she had an opening again. "That's a littleembarrassing," she says. "Plus, you may have alienatedthem or lost the candidate to another job. It's more time andmore energy."