Although today is officially April Fool’s Day, many employers feel they have been getting pranked by candidates for months. One of our new clients described a scenario where they extended an official job offer to their top candidate, but the candidate declined the offer for a position at a different company. The employer never saw it coming, and felt like they were on the receiving end of a practical joke.
This company is not alone. As the improving economy has made it a candidate’s market, this scenario will become more prevalent if the right steps aren’t taken. At Naviga, we have many steps in place to manage the candidate all the way from the initial call through the job offer, and even after the candidate has started the position. Don’t be fooled by candidates this April Fool’s Day, and keep reading to learn how you can better manage candidates throughout the process to help minimize fall off.
Get the Whole Story
When talking to potential candidates about an open position, make sure to get the candidate’s whole story before proceeding the process. Find out why the candidate is looking for a new position, or if they’re a passive candidate, find out how long they’ve been working for their current company and if they are looking to make a change. Make an effort to really understand what the candidate is looking to do next in their career. If the candidate talks about wanting to move into a leadership position, but the opening doesn’t provide a lot of growth opportunity, then you know that this candidate is likely a flight risk. It’s important to find out everything about a candidate’s current situation and future aspirations to determine not only if they will be a fit for the position, but if they will have a future at the company.
Evaluate Their Responsiveness
A good predictor of a sales rep’s willingness to move forward with your company is their response time to emails and phone calls throughout the hiring process. How long does it take the candidate to return your phone calls or emails? Are they taking two hours, two days, or two weeks? If a candidate is responsive to the process, it’s a good sign they’re interested in the position and that they will be responsive in the future. On the other hand, if a candidate disappears during the process and you have to follow up with them multiples times to get a response, then maybe she’s “just not that into you”.
Daily Outreach
Since candidates are more likely to be interviewing for multiples positions at the same time, it’s important to keep them engaged throughout the entire process, even after they’ve officially accepted a job offer. The best way to do this is to reach out to them daily, or at least every few days, to make sure you’re in front of them. Send them interesting articles, ask about how an event they attended turned out, and even call to see if they’re excited about the upcoming interview or start date. After you make the initial reach out and have the candidate on the phone, it’s also important to ask questions to gauge their interest level. Has anything changed with your candidacy during the process? If you receive an offer from another employer while in this process with me, how will you handle it? These are all critical questions to ask throughout the process and will help you manage any concerns the candidate might have.
Ask Direct Questions
When a candidate is nearing the offer stage, ask a series of direct questions to make sure the candidate’s expectations are in line with the company’s expectations. These questions should confirm all facets of a candidate’s current compensation and compensation expectations, whether they’re considering any other opportunities, and if they have any reservations in accepting an offer. You should use this time to close the candidate and resolve any final issues that could deter the candidate from accepting the offer.
Don’t take for granted that a candidate is sold on the position or has no other options. Top candidates have options, and if you’re not engaging them and selling them on the position and the company, then they could potentially go elsewhere. If you’re not able to devote the time it takes to keeping candidates engaged throughout the process, Contact Us today!
