Closing Techniques: How to Land That In-Demand Candidate
So, you’ve heard of closing techniques; but have you heard of candidate closing techniques? Have you ever invested time in selling your offer to an in-demand candidate, only to have them reject the offer at the last minute? This is a surprisingly common occurrence, and one you can prevent by going the extra mile to seal the deal. Use these powerful closing strategies. They’re not all cheap and easy, so choose ones that will work for your organisation. Speed up the process In most competitions, speed wins. Some hiring managers don’t make offers quickly in fear it makes their organisation look “desperate”. (Yes, we’ve seen this happen on multiple occasions, to hiring managers’ detriment.) Sending a “bird in the hand offer” the same day of their final interview (before your candidate leaves) is even more impressive. An offer like this demonstrates that you and your manager are decisive, and that your candidate is desirable. Make on-the-spot offers if you can. One of the fastest ways to seal the deal is by making an offer on the spot and encouraging them to accept while they’re in your office. It’s not uncommon for people to change their minds, receive other offers or receive counter-offers from their current workplace. You can even offer a guaranteed sign-on bonus can provide an extra incentive for them to say yes. Making an offer in person is, psychologically, a more powerful strategy than making one over the phone. It’s also easier to address their concerns. Tip: Choose a time and space that makes them feel comfortable. Check out our article: “Converting candidates to hires: How to get to “yes” faster!” Create a dream job offer: understanding and meeting criteria Do you know all your desired candidate’s acceptance criteria? If you can meet them, it’s hard for them to say no. If you’re not certain, be upfront and ask them to list their criteria, and use their list to guide your offer. When you present it to them, ensure they understand how you’ve met each of their requirements. You could alternatively ask them to list the characteristics of their ideal or dream job on a blank sheet, then meet their dream-job criteria. Alternatively, offer an “exploding bonus”, encouraging them to decide quickly. This is where you offer a significant sign-on bonus, but it’s contingent on you candidate accepting the offer right away (on the spot or by that evening). After that initial time period, the bonus continually and dramatically decreases until it eventually reaches zero. Use the power of influence Job offers can be major decisions, which are rarely made alone. If possible and appropriate, consider reaching out to individuals who will influence the final decision. For example, pre-identified job references, colleagues, mentors, and family members. Provide them with information so that they will proactively go out of their way to encourage the candidate to say yes. You can also offer “two-for-ones”, winning them over by providing them with an opportunity to work alongside a peer, for example, a colleague, mentor, best friend, or qualified family member. A package deal can be a great closer, and you can also set them up to work together initially on a joint project. In using the power of influence, do you know if they have any contacts currently in your organisation? Encourage key people to informally let your chosen candidate know how much they are needed and that they will be welcomed with open arms. Make sure that you educate them so they know what the candidate cares most about. If your finalist is a referral, also have the referring employee call them and to also try to close the sale. Make it personal A passionate, personal call from your CEO, or another member of your leadership team, asking them to say yes and making a compelling case is a powerful closing strategy. Your leaders can express their enthusiasm for what they hope to achieve with them: “Together we can build this company to the next level.” Alternatively, a handwritten note from your CEO attached to their offer letter is also a nice touch. Automatic salary reviews Often the major hurdle in accepting a job is their concern about the offered salary being too low. So, if you can’t give them more money initially, agree to reopen the salary discussion three to six months down the road (when both sides know how the new hire has performed). This can alleviate some of their fear that they will be locked into a lower salary for a long period of time. Wow them with a surprise After a number of interviews, most candidates understand their offer. Adding an unexpected surprise that hadn’t previously been discussed can seal the deal. For example, working at home on Fridays, or choosing their own title. This also demonstrates you are willing to go above and beyond, and is great news for them to share with their family and friends. Be prepared to provide them with some symbols or indicators of status that might seal the deal. This might include a title, an office, an assistant, or a company car. Offer opt-out options No-fault “divorce options” can minimise fear of failure — some candidates are nervous that the job won’t be a fit. Offer them a non-confrontational way to walk away after six months. Assure them that they’ll get a positive reference and a lump sum payoff if either side feels that it didn’t work out. They can walk away while relatively unharmed. Flexible work More and more candidates expect flexible working arrangements. The opportunity to work from home or have flexible working arrangements can make or break a deal (especially if getting to your office requires a lengthy commute!). Create exciting letters of offer Is your letter of offer the best it can be? Letters that are overly legalistic (with a lot of fine print) are turnoffs. Also, letters that leave out key “promises” that were verbally discussed during interviews can invariably frustrate your candidate. Make your letter of offer and processes
Avoid Costly Mis-Hires: How Local Governments Can Reduce Hiring Risk
Taking on new employees in local government can have its challenges. While recruitment always carries some risk, the wrong hire can be particularly devastating for smaller Councils. Here how local governments can reduce hiring risk. New hires make us wonder, can they work well with our existing team? Will they show the dedication required for their role? Will they leave after a few months? While screening and onboarding new employees can be costly and time-consuming, following hiring best practices can help you reduce the odds of making the wrong hire, and increase the likelihood to place the right person in your role. Here are six tips about how local governments can reduce hiring risk. 1. Define the role Attracting the right person means understanding your organisation and role requirements inside and out. Establishing set criteria before your start advertising helps you stay focused when you do start to receive applications. Check out our article: “Are you recruiting purple squirrels? (How to rethink your selection criteria)” Seek input from key people invested in the role: your hiring manager, and whoever the role’s new manager and team members will be. Write down the list of duties your new hire will be required to perform and the skills they need. Use experience and qualifications to narrow down your talent pool. Then, tailor your recruitment advertisement accordingly. Culture is important in local governments, both for individual teams and your organisation as a whole. In your recruitment advertisement describe the work environment your new hire can expect. Sharing details about the way your organisation operates (and excels) will help both you and your candidates decide if your role is the right fit. Check out our article and podcast episode of The Talent Scout: How to pick a winning candidate 2. Use the power of referrals If you’re still wondering how local governments can reduce hiring risk, remember that you can reduce hiring risk through referrals. Referrals are one of the best ways to source talent you can trust. It’s faster, and often cheaper than traditional methods. To increase the number of referrals you receive, consider putting in place an employee referral program. These programs save time and money, as you won’t need to spend hours wading through resumes or waste money on job postings that don’t attract the right candidates. Your current team knows what it takes to be successful, and they can be a fantastic asset when it comes to finding new talent. People who already work in your Council will typically refer people with similar work ethic. So if you have a high-calibre team, you’ll attract high-calibre talent. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on recruitment advertisements, you can spend as little as a quarter of that amount through referrals – costs associated with referrals typically come from employee compensation from successful referrals. This can vary based on your organisation’s needs. 3. Use smart interviewing techniques Interviewing is not only an important opportunity to gain direct insights into your candidates, but having the right processes will save you valuable time and resources. Develop a list of behavioural and skills-based interview questions to screen candidates over two-way recorded video interviews or over the phone before inviting them for a face-to-face interview. Use your list of interview questions to keep interviews fair and consistent. While remote interviews are an investment, they save you time in the long run. By recording initial interviews (after obtaining permission from interviewees), you can share it with multiple team members to gain their feedback on which candidates to progress with. Gaining their insights can allow you to make a more informed decision. When it comes time to the face-to-face interview stage, many Councils invite team members to conduct a panel interview. Each interviewer takes turns to ask questions individually, the remaining panel members have time to listen to what the candidate is saying and observe their body language. Dividing the responsibilities gives both strong and weak interviewers the chance to ask questions, increasing the likelihood that all appropriate questions will be asked. Panel interviews reduce the risk of personal bias and ensure the validity of interview findings. It’s also an opportunity for candidates to interact with their potential coworkers, and gain a better understanding of the role as it’s seen from different employees’ perspective. 4. Check references After you’ve found a great candidate, it’s time for reference checks. Ask referees to confirm: Education, certifications, qualifications and skills Title or position in their previous role More information about the nature of their former duties and personality. Reference checks help you to narrow down your pool of candidates and reduce hiring risk, especially if you’re torn between several applicants who all interviewed well. Managers eliminate 21 per cent of applicants after speaking with their professional contacts (OfficeTeam). Learning about an applicant’s professional background from a direct source can be a great way to determine if they’re a good fit. Cross-reference contact information through independent research. If they provide a contact number for their supervisor at a former place of employment, look up the organisation. 5. Establish trial periods Many local governments engage in trial periods with new hires. This allows you to see how they perform, without making a commitment to permanent employment. It’s an opportunity to see how they interact with the rest of the team and whether they’ll be a successful long-term fit or not. It can also save you money, and give you the time and proof you need to assess your new hires’ abilities – beyond their resume and interview. 6. Conduct checks Background and pre-employment checks give you the peace of mind to confirm your hiring decision, particularly in local government roles where employees are trusted with confidential or sensitive information. This can save your organisation from hiring mistakes that could lead to misconduct or fraud. Checks give you access to employment history, police checks, traffic checks, financial checks and more. Specialist support from a recruitment services provider like Employment Office gives you fast, easy-to-understand reports
How to Market Your (Often Forgotten) EVPs When Recruiting
Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is crucial to your recruitment marketing process. In fact, it’s more important than anything else when it comes to talent attraction and engagement! Here’s how to market your EVPs. Do you know how to build and promote your EVPs when recruiting? Here are some tips to keep in mind. What
