Why Retaining Top Talent Starts at the Offer

In a Inc. magazine article, Mark Suster talks about the risk that lies between offer acceptance and start date. We often find new clients ghosting candidates after a candidate excepts their offer. They simply expect the candidate to show up in two weeks without any further communication.

When you invest time and resources interviewing and choosing the right candidate for your open position, the process doesn't stop when they accept your offer. Going a few extra steps with a warm welcome will solidify the relationship and more importantly, ensure they aren't lured to a competing company that makes a deeper connection and shows a greater level of interest.

For starters, the candidate needs more interaction following the offer than with just HR and/or the agency recruiter. In our methodology we recommend having the hiring manager speak directly with the candidate following offer acceptance, ideally within 48 hours.

However an arranged phone call works fine. When the candidate hears directly from you, "Welcome aboard. We're excited to get you started on the team. Read up on these topics in the meantime..", you're creating an emotional bond no 3rd party headhunter can replicate. Suster's article also mentions having other key peers on the team send a welcome email to reinforce everyone's expectations.

A meeting onsite is preferred, even if just for coffee in your building's cafeteria. If the job will start remotely under the circumstances but they will be expected to commute to the office in the future, this is even more critical since some recent hires have told us when they're working from their dining room, it doesn't even feel like they changed jobs.

Next is to stay aware of the events that occur with the candidate between offer acceptance and start date. Our organization provides constant updates to our clients including confirmation the resignation went smoothly, the candidate's reaction to a counter-offer and the last day with their current employer. We're always vetting to leave nothing to chance.

Just telling your candidate when and where to show up after they accept your offer isn't enough. You don't have to lay a red carpet for every new employee but by executing a genuine welcoming strategy, you'll minimize your risk of a candidate backing out for a competitor that gives much more attention.