At PA Life we’re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, tips, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives.
Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with your manager, we thought we’d ensure you get even more brownie points by bringing you a selection of news items of interest to the boss. In this edition, we look at the tops tips for making a job offer.
Bringing in a high calibre of candidates is not the only difficult part of hiring a top-notch employee. Once you get past the interview stage and find just the right person for the job, you have to give him or her an offer they can’t refuse. Jorg Stegemann, Recruiter and Director of Executive Search at Experis, (a division of Manpower Group) says there are nine steps to securing the perfect new recruit.
Be quick
Talent doesn’t come along that often and when it does, you can be sure there are other executives out there eyeing up your candidate. If you’re sure about a person you’ve met, contact him or her the same day as their final interview with an offer and don’t wait any longer than two days at the most.
Pick up the phone
Rather than sending an email or a letter, call the candidate with the good news. This lets them know how happy you are to have found them and gives you the opportunity to gauge their reaction. If they sound just as excited as you feel, you’ve made the right decision.
Go a little over the top
When you speak to the candidate, be professional but enthusiastic. Tell him or her that you chose them out of all the CVs you received and don’t be afraid to mention how many other people they were up against. Your relationship with this employee starts at the job offer, so make it memorable.
Size up the salary
Most people won’t leave a stable position for less than a 10% increase in pay and very few will take a job for the same or lower salary. To avoid possible resentment down the line, never offer a good candidate anything below their current earnings unless you have a solid reason for doing so.
Put your money where your mouth is
Explain pay and benefits verbally when you make the job offer, describing everything as thoroughly as possible, then follow up with more details in writing. Don’t make any bonus promises you can’t keep.
Get a commitment
If the candidate asks for some time to consider the offer, give them a deadline (three days is typical) and ask what their initial thoughts are. Hesitation may mean they will decline the offer, so try to give them more information without being pushy.
Put it in writing
Follow up with a letter detailing the terms of the offer, including salary, benefits, holidays and anything else pertinent to the role.
Empathise
Candidates who refuse a job offer are likely to do so because of a counter-offer from their current employer. Be sensitive to the person’s worries about resigning from a company they have been with for years. It’s a stressful time, so be patient.
Assess the situation
If you can’t tell whether a person is likely to accept your offer, or if you want to be sure he or she will turn up for the first day on the job, simply say: “I interviewed two other candidates I thought would suit the role. Can I tell them the position has been filled?” The threat of affecting another person might keep them from leading you on.
Read the original article at tinyurl.com/oefa9pb
