To ensure the offer you extend to a candidate is met with success, it’s best to look at it as a process that starts from the first time you engage with them. One of the biggest mistakes recruiters make when extending an offer is doing so while having a lack of information at their disposal. As a result, candidates can be turned off by compensation, title, start date, or other factors that really should have been addressed earlier on, not at the eleventh hour!
During the recruitment process, make an effort to gather key data points during the initial conversations. As a third-party recruiter, you should be learning what factors will motivate your candidate to accept your job. Some questions need to gather answers to are:
- What are their salary expectations for a new job and how does this compare to their most recent W2 earnings? (Be sure to understand how much of that was the basic element and how much was bonus)
- What is their ideal job title?
- What is their location and ability/willingness to commute (if required)?
- Why are they interested in the position?
- What are their long term career goals?
- What kind of company/ culture do they prefer?
If your candidate’s answers to these questions don’t align with what the job is offering or requiring, then their expectations are not realistic for this position and it is important to discuss it immediately. You do not always need to resolve the difference then, but make sure any differences are not going to be a deal-breaker!
It is also important to document the data you obtain so you can refer to it later on in the process and build a compelling offer pitch when the time comes. Not only should this information be documented, but it should also be confirmed multiple times and revisited throughout the process. After each interview, you should be re-confirming these data points. Ask these simple questions:
- “We discussed a salary (and possible bonus if available) of “XXXX”, is this still what you would be looking for?”
- “Does this position still fall in line with your career goals and objectives?”
- “Is there anything that is concerning to you about the role at this stage?”