Entering the offer extend stage after a long and diligent search is a pivotal and exhilarating time for both the recruiter and the candidate. While excitement is high on both sides, it is sometimes easy to act on impulse, and lose sight of the real things that matter. As a recruiter, it is your duty to make sure that the candidate is looking at the opportunity holistically, and understands what accepting this offer will mean to them.
To start framing your discussion points, it is first important to know the candidate’s deciding factors. According to a Glassdoor Survey from October 2014, the top 5 pieces biggest considerations job seekers take into account before accepting a job offer are:
- Company culture and values
- Career growth opportunities
- Salary and compensation
- Work-life balance
- Location / commute
A strong recruiter will see it as their responsibility to make sure the candidate is strapped with enough information about the role and company to make a well informed decision before their offer deadline. Here are three discussion points that will help candidates reality-check the role and company before accepting the offer.
1. If culture is important to them, they play an integral part in shaping it. Nearly 80% of Millennials look for people and culture fit with employers. Candidates want to know that the fundamental aspects of the culture they’re signing up for will continue to thrive during their time with the company.
Company culture is created by the actions of the collective group, and we sometimes forget that it cannot maintain itself. Providing a few real life examples or stories that define the company’s culture can help candidates understand that they will not only have the power to shape it, but will be responsible in preserving and strengthening it.
For instance, at Glassdoor, culture setting doesn’t always come from the top down. We have a Culture Club made up of employees, both high up and entry level, who truly embody the Glassdoor culture. They help organize social events and assist in maintaining our culture as we open new offices around the globe.
This will help candidates feel like they are a part of the fabric even before they join. At the end of the day, if culture is a key driver in their decision, they themselves will need to be prepared to do their part.
On the flipside, having a candid culture discussion can also bring to surface aspects of the culture that candidates aren’t comfortable with, which in turn can help them further evaluate whether this is the right opportunity to take.
2. Be transparent about short-term downsides and longer-term upsides – but don’t over promise.Very rarely do candidates accept a job offer with absolutely no reservations.
Recruiters should feel comfortable surfacing the good and the bad during the offer discussion. You’ve made the right offer to the best candidate, so now it is time to help them understand the opportunities that come with joining.
With that being said, recruiters should be cautious of over promising; 61% of employees say new job realities differ from expectations set during the interview process, and there are consequences of making predictions of what the role could be further down the road if you’re not careful. One way to avoid crossing this fine line is to state facts as they stand today to support your points, then leave it to the candidates to form their own opinion on what this could mean for them longer term. The key is to keep the conversation balanced.
3. There are resources beyond the recruiter at the company to help with the decision. Candidates will always appreciate the offer (even if they don’t take it) to hear from others at the company.
At the offer stage, allowing candidate access to employees other than the recruiter is a trust-building gesture, signaling that there is full transparency around all parts of the offer. Whether it’s needing more information around the onboarding plan, or even logistical questions like commute time, it is not realistic for recruiters to be able to answer all the questions.
A resourceful recruiter can quickly determine when it’s absolutely necessary to loop in others at the company for help. However, be sure that when you do bring other team members to the conversation, that you are prepping them and providing context on the candidate in advance. Failing to do so may mean you will need to back-peddle on your conversion efforts, and you run the risk of leaving the candidate with a sub-par candidate experience.
Having an open dialogue with your candidates will lessen the risk of making a bad hire, which can ultimately come at a high cost to both the recruiter and the company. For the recruiter, what determines their capability isn’t always how quickly they can hire, but how they can effectively find the right match for the role.
