Given the current talent shortage, companies are now jumping through hoops in the search for top notch candidates and many are coming up empty handed. However, executive search and hiring procedures aside, should a solid candidate be identified, all the time and resources that have gone into finding that ideal individual, one who both fits the position as well as meshes with the company’s corporate culture all, comes down to that one final step which can either make or break the entire process. So, continuing straight off of the previous list, here are four more tips compiled by executive search firms on making the perfect job offer.
5. Let Them See the Money
Candidates want to see how much they are worth to a company. They also want more than vague numbers and promises regarding the level of compensation they would be receiving. Employers will need to go through these figures step by step, outlining salary and benefits, as well as breaking down any other bonus plans and perks. This information should also be provided to the candidate in writing. All too often candidates will find themselves feeling shortchanged if they do not feel that the salary being provided is the same as that was eluded to beforehand, making stressing of the compensation and benefits an important step in ensuring the candidate is well informed.
6. Get Some Kind of Response
While it is only natural that a number of candidates should ask for time to consider the offer, it is still important that the employer get some kind of reaction from them early on. This can be as simple a matter as asking the candidate how they are feeling about the offer at that moment. After all the time that has gone into finding an ideal candidate, the last thing you want to do is let them get away. Therefore, should any hesitation be detected on the candidate’s part, it is important that the employer attempt to detect and assuage any misgivings the candidate may have.
7. Identify With Their Difficulties
It has been noted that nearly a third of all candidates who ultimately decline an offer do so as a result of their current employer having made a counter offer coupled with a reticence to abandon that company. Here, employers should seek to address and ease the candidate’s frame of mind on the issue by asking about their feelings on giving notice after X number of years with that company, as well as how they believe their boss will react to the news. Acknowledge and identify with the candidate’s inevitable anxiety over leaving their current company while simultaneously attempting to mitigate those feelings.
8. Pop the Question
Finally, employers will need to take that final step and ask the candidate outright about their acceptance of the offer. This is particularly important should the employer be at all unsure of the candidate’s feelings. It can also be beneficial here to comment on other potential candidates, real or fictional, who are also lined up for the position, as a means of encouraging the individual in question to come out with their real feelings on the matter.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
