After putting so much time and resource into finding your ideal candidate, it would be disappointing to lose them at the offer stage.
Below are some common reasons that a job offer may fall over and how to reduce the risk of it happening to you.
The candidate has a counter offer from their current employer
To reduce this risk, we ask candidates upfront what would happen in this very scenario. This gives us an idea of how they might respond – are they committed to moving on or just testing the waters. Other than this, you want the candidate to be so excited about the prospect of joining your company that they reject a counter offer. Ways to do this are to ‘sell’ your job at the interview (not scare them off!), keep communicating in order to present a welcome and professional image, and present the offer without delay – show them that you want them!
There is a gap between the salary offer and their expectations
When employers recruit themselves, we often hear stories of salaries not being discussed until an offer is made – often to the disappointment of both parties. As recruiters, we are in a position to understand our client’s budget, gain expectations from candidates and discuss salary expectations upfront. This saves a lot of time and energy if ideal remuneration levels are too far apart.
Furthermore, if they are the perfect candidate for the role and you know there isn’t anyone else available, it is wise to meet their salary expectations. It can be very disheartening to candidates to be offered a salary below their expectations and their value in the market.
The candidate is offered another role
In this market, competition for candidates is tough and often candidates are presented with multiple job offers. Communication is key, and as recruiters, we are in a position where we can ask candidates what else they have on the go. Most are very honest with us and we can let our clients know, both in order to avoid disappointment (and keep the job search active) and also to ensure they put their best offer forward.
The client has delays
There are two types of delays we see – a drawn out interview process, and delays in providing a contract. When managers aren’t available to meet candidates, weeks can pass by. This portrays a negative image to the candidate and they lose interest. If you can schedule tentative interviews in busy managers’ diaries, this can help to speed up the recruitment process and the candidates will gain the impression that the role is valued in the business.
In regards to providing the contract and documentation, again, ensure you have the right managers available to create and sign off on employment agreements immediately. Also make sure you have the job description ready – ideally at the beginning of the recruitment process.
All in all, the offer and negotiation stage of recruitment is as vital as any. When you work with Eclipse, we help you to navigate your way through the process to give you the best chance possible of securing your ideal candidate.