You’ll know two critical things about making job offers if you have been following our latest hiring advice series. Firstly, it is essential not to make a formal offer until you know the candidate will accept. The second vital step is to find out what else is happening with your candidates outside of work. If you missed it, make sure you read parts one and two before you continue. This final chapter outlines how to bring it home and make a job offer candidates cannot refuse.
Step 3 – Aim to delight with your offer and exceed expectations where possible
To exceed expectations, you first need to know what they are. So, make sure you have this information before making a formal offer.
- What are candidates looking for in their next role?
- What interests them about your opportunity?
- What are their salary expectations?
- Why are they ready to move on from their current position if they are currently employed?
- What non-financial employee benefits are significant to them?
Ideally, you have been gathering intelligence throughout the hiring process. If you are making the offer but don’t have the relevant information, speak to the person who does. Otherwise, find out from the candidate so you can proceed from a position of knowledge. After all, knowledge is power! When asking these questions, try to get the candidate to provide specific real-life examples rather than theoretical ones where possible. You can do this by asking:
- Of the roles you have applied for recently, which one sounds most interesting to you? Why? OR Of the people you know, who is doing the role that most interests you? Why?
- What’s essential for you to accomplish in your next role? Why?
- What aspects of your current role have you enjoyed the most? Why?
- When you think about your next role, what do you want to see in it?
- What else is important to you?
Research also shows that offers are more likely to be accepted when made by a company executive than HR, so if you don’t already do this, it is worth considering to increase your acceptance rate. Ultimately, the person making the offer should have good rapport with and a strong understanding of what the candidate wants.
After working through steps one, two, and three, you’re ready! Here’s a breakdown of how to communicate the job offer:
- Tone is everything! Sound excited when you make the call, like you’ve both just won the lottery. You want to get the candidate producing serotonin to feel like this is a great moment for them. This builds on the psychological contract you have built throughout the recruitment process, which will make them feel less comfortable about rejecting you.
- Show appreciation for the candidate’s time and effort. Tell them how much the various business stakeholders enjoyed meeting them, ideally with an example of what they liked about them.
- An absolute winning strategy is to offer more money than the candidate has asked for if you can. It doesn’t have to be much more to create an extremely positive impact. You will have a new starter who is instantly more engaged and with a greater sense of loyalty to you because you have already gone above and beyond to make them feel valued – critical factors for ’employee stickiness’. If you cannot increase the salary, consider a one-off sign-on bonus for high-potential candidates, particularly if there is an at-risk component to their remuneration package. It’s unlikely that competing offers will do this.
- Highlight how their job opportunity with your organisation supports their goals, both in and out of work.
- Talk about the support and development opportunities provided. Today’s workers increasingly value clear promotion and salary increase paths.
- Finish strong by outlining all the available work perks and benefits your organisation offers.
There you have it! We hope this hiring advice series has provided you with the essential steps to help you secure that exceptional candidate you have been working hard to find.
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