Closing the deal—persuading the candidate to say yes to your job offer—is an exciting part of the recruitment process. It’s also a crucial step; you don’t want to lose the candidate you’ve worked so hard to land.
- Always Be Closing
Experts agreed that if there is any suspense about whether the candidate will accept the offer, you have not done your job.
Closing a candidate really begins at the beginning of the process. The easiest way to close a finalist candidate is setting realistic expectations at the start.”
From the initial conversation, the recruiter should go over the day-to-day duties of the job, as well as the benefits, compensation, schedule, and anything else they can think of. For me, I do not want to get [candidates] to the end of the process and have them not be interested or give them an offer they can’t even consider. That’s wasting everyone’s time.
Presenting the job offer should not feel like a cold call. “You should know what they are looking for, what their concerns are, their ‘magic number’ for comp, the tipping point to get them over the line.
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Be Transparent
Practicing transparency helps build trust between candidates and the organization so there are not any surprises at the 11th hour,
Be consistent throughout the process and make sure the offer letter outlines all expected salary and benefits, performance timelines, and all other critical information regarding the company culture and the position.
If you do that during every step of the process and show that you’re on their side, that you’re their champion, closing should be a snap.
I try and remember that it is stressful for candidates who are leaving their current employer, so the more positive the recruitment experience for them, the more likely they will accept my offer.
- Know Your Candidates
Engaging with candidates to make them feel comfortable from the outset helps immensely when you reach the offer stage. I try and find out what motivates my candidate. and makes the job meaningful to them. I highlight the impact of the role in the organization or how it makes a difference in the world. People want to know that their work has purpose.
- Stay in Touch
I know that if communication is high during the process, a good recruiter will know if something significant has changed for the candidate. If they got a promotion or changed their mind because of something in their personal life, you would already know about it, so there is no shock when it comes to an offer.
I check in often with candidates, follow up after interviews, confirm whether they still feel comfortable and excited about the opportunity, and go over any concerns they have.
That includes checking in to let them know there is no news, it shows you haven’t forgotten about them. I really dislike when I am getting to know a candidate and they tell me about their last experience with a recruiter who GHOSTED them.
- Anticipate Obstacles
I can do everything right throughout the process and still be shocked by a curveball at the end.
One of my most telling questions to ask my candidate is what would they do if their current employer makes a counteroffer? Remind them of the reasons why they wanted to leave in the first place and that it took announcing they were leaving to get that bump in pay or higher title.
These tips you should keep top of mind when you are interviewing.
Be ready, confident, and willing to take on that new role.
For more tips like these, contact Cindy via email by cindy@cindyfassler.com
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