Personnel(ly) Speaking
Personnel Management Systems, Inc.
How to get them to say “yes!”
(The best way to make a job offer to a candidate)
It has been three months since you started the recruitment process for your open Account Manager position. You posted the job, screened numerous resumes, interviewed a dozen candidates, held panel interviews together with your management team, and checked references. It has been a long process, but finally you found the ideal person to hire. You wrote an offer letter, signed it, and even sent it via overnight mail. Four days later you still haven’t heard back from your ideal candidate. You begin to wonder if he is going to be there on his first day of work…
Has this ever happened to you? If yes, you probably remember the feeling of uncertainty and began asking yourself questions like: Why I haven’t heard back yet? Has he received the offer? Is he happy with it? Should I have offered a higher salary? Does he have other offers? Is he going to show up on Monday? Is my backup candidate still going to be available? Should I call?
Here are some helpful tips to avoid the pain of starting over.
1. Sell the candidate on why she or he should work for your organization.
Who knows, this person might become your star salesperson. Would you like to lose her to your toughest competitor?
Be at your best – and make sure your employees are at their best as well.
· Would you like to work for a company where receptionist is rude; the manager eats lunch during the interview; the meeting starts an hour late; and the phone rings off the hook during the interview?
· Tell your employees when you will be interviewing someone at the office. The interviewing process is not only a test for the candidate; it is also a test for you and your company. Give the prospective employee a tour after the interview and introduce her to some of your staff.
· During the interview, be prepared as if you were meeting with your best customer.
Learn about the candidate.
The goal of interviewing is not only to find candidates with the required skills and experience and who will fit your company culture, but also to learn what motivates them. What are their career goals? What are they looking for in an employer?
If you spend a little bit more time to learn your candidate’s expectations, it will be much easier for you to win him over. You will know how to “sell” the position and the company; you will know what the candidate cares about.
2. Talk the talk; walk the walk – Do you know one of the primary reasons job applicants reject job offers? Money? Benefits? Commute? NO.
They say it is because they were lied to. Surprising?
· I was promised to receive detailed information about the benefits; it has never been delivered to me.
· I was told I would be given a position update by Wednesday this week; nobody followed up with me.
· I was told I would be informed of the final decision by the end of this week; I wasn’t.
The hiring process is like dating. Why would I want to marry someone who doesn’t keep their promises while dating?
3. Extending the Job Offer
You know your ideal candidate’s expectations. You know what he wants for salary and benefits and what he expects from a new employer. You made sure he had a great experience interviewing at your company. So you create an offer letter, overnight it … and he does not show up on the first day of work. What happened? What went wrong?
Verbal Job Offer –This phone call takes only few minutes and could make the difference between filling your open position and starting the hiring process all over.
Do your homework:
· Know what benefits your company offers and be ready to walk the candidates through them;
· Know how much you can offer to the candidate and be ready for negotiations; know the limits;
· Set the time during the day in which you are in a good mood and call the candidate;
· Make sure it is a good time for the candidate as well. If not, set up a later, more convenient time;
· Discuss the start date and contingencies and inform the candidate how the written offer letter will be delivered (via mail, e-mail, etc.);
· Make sure the prospect has your phone number so she can phone you in case the offer letter does not arrive within the specified time;
· Establish a date by when you expect a final decision or return of the signed offer letter.
A verbal offer affords the opportunity to cement the relationship with your new employee. Remember, receiving a job offer is an exciting moment - answer any questions, address any concerns, and stress the advantages of working for your company. Candidates are usually open about communicating if they have another job offer on the table and expressing what it would take to accept your offer. Be ahead of your competition! Take the time to call the candidate and present the offer verbally. You won’t find out this information and head off any roadblocks if you just send a written offer letter.
Written Job Offer – This is the last step to seal the deal. While a written offer is merely confirmation of the verbal offer, it is not required and not every company sends one. However, it can be useful in clearing up any issues regarding expectations of the new job.
Elements of the offer letter:
· Position title
· FLSA status: exempt/non-exempt
· Start date
· Name and title of direct supervisor
· Contingencies (is the job offer contingent on favorable results of reference check, criminal background check, drug testing?)
· Employment-at-will statement
· Date by when you expect the candidate to inform you of a final decision
· Benefits eligibility
4. But are we really done yet? No! There is one more thing…
Keep in touch with the candidate – This is especially important if the start date is more than a week or two away.
Remember, if your prospective employee is currently working elsewhere, their current employer might extend a counter offer. Or another company might offer him or her a job. By staying in touch with your new hire, you can strengthen the relationship you have built during the interview process, causing the candidate to think twice about changing his or her mind. So let your new hire know how excited you are to have him join your team. You might ask your team members to write a welcome email in which they can share more information about the position, why they like working at your company, what they specialize in, what their hobbies are. If the person is relocating, how about sending a T-shirt or guidebook from your area? The more connected the new hire feels to your organization, the less chance of losing him at this stage.
Make your hiring work count. Cement the relationship with your primary job candidate. Make an offer that can’t be refused. As part of our HR service, Personnel Management Systems can help you with offer letters and provide tips on salary negotiation. If you need assistance with this or other HR issues, remember to call PMSI.
Personnel(ly) Speaking is a monthly comment on HR issues of importance. It is intended to provide general information and must not be construed as legal advice. Reproductions are allowed as long as credit for this information is given to PMSI. We welcome your comments, questions, and concerns. © PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC., Corporate Office (425) 576-1900, Colorado Office (720) 497-0200, www.hrpmsi.com.