We recently talked about the highs and lows of recruitment – finding the perfect candidate for a role, only to have them knock back your job offer. But there are things you can do to increase your chance of securing the best candidates for your jobs. If you missed it, review our top tip in part one of our job offer hiring advice series before reading further.
Step 2 – Find out what else is happening with your candidates
Careers do not occur in a vacuum – they are a part of life, constantly changing and evolving. Therefore, to offer a job that candidates will accept, you need to understand what their ideal role looks like and what’s happening in their life beyond work. This knowledge enables you to highlight how the opportunity fits into their circumstances and helps you address any potential issues.
So, what should you ask?
- What other job opportunities are they considering? How far along are they in the recruitment process? Which role is their preferred? Why?
- If they are currently employed, what is happening at work? For example, have new and exciting opportunities arisen since you first connected? Or are there further reasons to expedite their desire to leave?
- How do they feel about resigning? Are they likely to receive a counter-offer if they quit? If so, will they accept?
- Who might influence their decision to take the job? This information is vital, particularly if relocation is required. Kids or partners may need to be factored into the decision-making if a change of school or employment for family members is required.
- Are there commitments in their personal life that don’t allow for varying work conditions? If they are a carer for an ageing parent for example, travel or being on-call at short notice will be a challenge.
- What are their longer-term goals, both at work and in their personal life? This may provide crucial insights into the alignment, and therefore desirability, of your opportunity.
- How does working with your organisation complement the candidate’s whole self? Your organisation may have a social program such as a running club, coding group, choir, or LGBTI community that could make the difference between accepting someone else’s offer and yours.
Helping your candidate forward plan and navigate these scenarios could be the difference between filling your role or starting from scratch.
When should you do this?
We believe it’s better to do it late than never. But to increase your chance of securing the candidate, you should start understanding their motivation and what’s important to them as early in the recruitment process as possible.
We recommend starting with their application. Did they include a cover letter or covering email that outlines their reasons for being interested in the role? Does the ‘about me’ section or ‘executive summary’ in their CV match what your role or organisation has to offer?
You would obviously include motivational and preferential questions as part of your telephone and face-to-face (or video) interviews. However, when calling to schedule the next round of interviews or testing is also a great opportunity to check in. You can gauge interest levels or identify any concerns the candidate may have.
The best approach to take
Applying for jobs and interviewing can be nerve-wracking for many. Building rapport and affirming the candidate through all your interactions has short and long-term benefits. If the candidate has the right skills and experience, but the motivational fit may be lacking, you can always add them to your talent pool for consideration for future opportunities. A positive candidate experience will also support your employer brand and help attract more candidates. More immediately, a relationship based on your understanding of the candidate needs and appreciation of their skills and experience builds trust and credibility. This allows you to ask tough questions or for candidates to reveal what is truly important to them. All of which ultimately helps you when you make a job offer.
We hope you’ve found this helpful. There’s one final step we believe that’s crucial to ensuring candidates accept your job offer. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on the last in this hiring advice series about managing job offers.
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