#TalentAttraction #Tuesday WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF OUR TOP CANDIDATE DOES NOT ACCEPT OUR OFFER?
How do you react when your top candidate interviews well, is initially excited about your open position, builds a great relationship with the Hiring Manager – and turns down your company’s offer?
Does your recruiter accept the candidate’s decision and report to the Manager that the candidate declined your offer? Is that acceptable in your company?
Is there a better way to respond? Definitely, YES.
How Do You Close Candidates?
Some people are saying:
“What is a Close?”
Others say, “We are not Salespeople.”
A few will list the ways they turn Declined Offers into Accepted Offers.
Recruiting mirrors the SALES PROCESS perfectly. Talent Attraction is different than “Talent Acquisition”. The Human Resource talent acquisition process is an administrative/compliance function.
A Sales Professional will nicely ask questions to determine the reason that someone declines an offer. They may decline because they – or their Spouse – are uncomfortable with a career move.
As in sales, people will sometimes give a bogus reason just to get the recruiter off the phone. They have learned that some recruiters will accept their bogus reason and then slink away.
The Best Recruiters Build Relationships –
From the beginning of their first conversation. We ask the candidates what they want to do next in their new position? Then we listen. Then we demonstrate true interest in them and their career by asking them more questions about their desires for their next company (Culture? Industry? Social Responsibility?), their Manager (Management Style? Promote their Direct Reports?), and what does their Ideal Team look like?
Did I just ask them if they wanted to make a job change? No – I may be very interested in them as a candidate, but possibly not for this job, this manager, nor this company. New industries may be sold if the Candidate’s interest is created.
It is important to know the Hiring Manager’s style before I recruit for them. If I learn that they are a micromanager, and the candidate says that they cannot stand to be micromanaged, is this a good match? Absolutely not – and it is best to stay in touch with the candidate for a future conversation about another position.
As I am working through my questions, I ask them a key closing question, “It sounds like you have been successful there up until now, why would you want to leave?” This is important information. This is the Candidate’s true reason to leave.
How Do Successful Recruiters Utilize Reason For Leaving?
This reason helps me close the candidate early in our conversation – before they know that they are being closed on the job. More importantly, it is before they raise their defenses.
“If this position helps you reach your goals, will you be more interested in working for our company (or client)?” If the answer is No, I wonder out loud why and admit a little confusion (that confusion is easy for me…). They usually say that they are a little uncomfortable with a job change now, uncomfortable with the location, or even with income.
These responses are legitimate – and they are telling Their Truth. During these conversations, I become their coach and confidant. My coaching is that talking is cheap. Let’s have a deeper conversation about “your experience, skills, and accomplishments.”
During that conversation about skills, experience, and accomplishments, I determine if we should proceed. We discuss the reasons why this position will interest them and reinforce their interest.
When I am convinced that the candidate is sufficiently interested in the position, I speak with the manager again. Remember, a Recruiter is a Matchmaker. We need to assure each side that they are making the best decision. I accept Managers’ decisions to decline to interview or offer candidates – after I ask them to clarify questions and sharpen my focus. My questions are generally structured to follow logic or to determine if the Manager has changed their focus. Occasionally, the Manager will decide to interview or extend an offer after the Manager responds to those questions.
Picture this sales situation as a dance – or a date. We are determining mutual interest through the entire candidate experience. As we move through the interviewing process, Everyone is determining if this is the right person or job.
People do not like to make BIG Decisions. They are comfortable making small, logical decisions until logic overtakes the emotion (Do I have Stories!). Simply say after each successful step, “Now the next little step is…” And you confidently lead them down their path.
Wait A Minute! We Have Not Discussed The Closes
More important than the closes themselves, we discussed how to build a trust relationship Before you need to close the candidate on the job. Before a Recruiter or Manager closes a candidate on a position or compensation, they need to create a Trust Relationship with their Candidate.
Next week for our 99th #TalentAttraction #Tuesday, we will discuss different closes that I have used and the stories that go with them.
Talent Attraction Mirrors The SALES Process Perfectly
This is our sixth #TalentAttraction #Tuesday Thought Leadership blog on the 12 steps of Recruiting Is A SALES Process. Over the next 7 weeks, we will continue to explore each step of the SALES Process that is called Talent Acquisition, Recruiting, Recruitment, Talent Attraction – and in some organizations !#%@%$&$^*.
Recruiting is Not Magic. It is Focused, Hard Work.
Talent Attraction is Better than Talent Acquisition!
If you would like a conversation on how to ATTRACT talent instead of using an Applicant Tracking System or HRIS to screen them out, we should chat. Call me directly at 435-714-4425 (mountain).
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