“Yes, I Accept!” Convincing a Candidate to Accept Your Offer

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on July 29, 2016

Hiring in the Pacific Northwest is competitive. The best candidates often find themselves facing offers from companies promising to support their careers, provide good benefits and pay them well. In this fast-paced hiring world, how can your business attract the best candidates?

Here are several strategies for helping candidates accept your job offer:

Research the candidate (again).

During the hiring process, you researched the candidate’s skills, experience, and past accomplishments.  Now, take a second look at the candidate’s application and LinkedIn profile – but this time, look for information on their past compensation. Use sites like Glassdoor to look up the companies the candidate has worked for before, including their pay and benefits. Examine why the candidate left. This information will tell you where to focus during negotiations.

Consider the candidate’s goals.

Top candidates reach the top by being relentless in their pursuit of their goals.  When they run into obstacles – like the lack of a clear path to promotion and advancement – they look elsewhere.

To “sell” a top candidate on your company, ask them what these goals are. Then, talk about the ways in which you can support these goals. Be ready to provide concrete examples and to back up your promises when the candidate exceeds your expectations – as top candidates so often do.

Why would they want to work for you?

When formulating an offer, take a close look at your company’s culture. Ask employees what they consider to be the best parts of working for your company. These can also be strong “selling points,” especially for top candidates who are looking for a better culture, rather than higher pay.

The information gleaned will form the structure for your negotiations with the candidate. You have spent a great deal of energy determining this candidate offers the best value to you; now, it’s your turn to demonstrate that you offer a good value to them. Be enthusiastic about your company’s culture and the way you see this candidate fitting into that structure.

Get competitive.

In addition to researching the candidate, take a look at your company’s own pay and benefits package.  While you don’t have to outspend your competitors to land the best talent, you do have to stay competitive. If needed, update compensation offerings to stay in the game.

Top candidates know what they’re worth. They know what their top-choice companies are offering for the same position. And they know what they can reasonably ask for in a salary negotiation. Benchmark your compensation package against other employers to ensure you don’t lose top talent to a competitor.

Think nontraditional.

Your offering to the candidate can be improved in many ways that don’t cost much. Nontraditional benefits like flextime, telecommuting, gym memberships, and other options can be appealing to candidates whose goal is to find an employer that frees them to do their best work. If you simply can’t offer a higher salary, look for ways to offer support and work-life balance instead. Perform some due diligence to learn what non-cash incentives are most in demand in your market or industry.

Talk to your recruiter.

Staffing firms specialize in knowing the industries they serve. This means knowing who is hiring, who they’ve hired, and what they offered. Ask your recruiter to help you build a competitive offering and find the best ways to sell it to this particular candidate. Their expertise is an invaluable tool to help you craft a competitive offer that your top candidate will accept.

At TERRA Staffing, we work closely with our clients to help them improve their hiring practices, find better candidates, and build competitive offers that help top people say “I accept!” Find one our branches today to learn more about our recruiting services.

Categories: HR and Management Advice, Staffing Tips & Recruiting Trends

Tags: Competitive Job Offers in Seattle, How to Write a Job Offer, Seattle Job Offers, Seattle Recruiting Services, Seattle Recruitment Solutions, Seattle Salary Information, Top Recruiting Firm in Seattle, What to Include in a Job Offer, Writing a Job Offer

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