8 Tips for Landing the Hire You Want

The hiring and selection process is one fraught with a lot of twists and turns with many potential points where you can lose candidates. After getting all the way through the process, it can be a huge letdown to have an offer turned down. Something people often forget is just as much as candidates want to be wanted, so do hiring managers and companies. So rather than finding yourself without a hire, here are eight steps you can take to land your next hire.?

1. Clearly communicate your company's mission and values: ?This should apply throughout a candidate’s journey. It’s also extremely important that you are being honest here. If you are a work-hard/play-hard company…chances are someone who is looking for a lower- key company will be unhappy there. Don’t be afraid to lose candidates for the right reasons.?

2. Highlight your company's unique selling points:? What sets your company apart? Is it a really interesting technology? Do you provide access to a lot of resources? Do you have a four day work week? Also, don’t forget about your own individual selling points as a manager. What’s your style? How can you help someone succeed and thrive in their new role and ultimately their career.?

3. Be transparent about job responsibilities, expectations, and growth opportunities:? It’s important candidates know what they are getting into when they join a company. Discrepancies here can impact both the initial offer accepting, but also someone’s likelihood to stay.?

4. Be responsive and keep the finalist informed throughout the hiring process:? When candidates are interested and engaged, sometimes it’s the simple things that make a difference. In this instance over communicating to candidates who are in process is far better than under communicating. If you are preparing an offer but it takes a certain amount of time, let the candidate know. This is a critical time in the process and without information imaginations run wild. It also shows your genuine interest.

5. Make sure all questions are answered:? Make sure you haven’t left any questions unanswered. Be open to connecting the finalist with other colleagues to get any lingering questions answered.?

6. Ask buying questions from the finalist:? Asking direct buying questions is a great way to reduce the times you hear no or at the very least prepare you for its possibility. One great buying question is, “If we were to provide you with a competitive offer, what would prevent you from accepting?” Many candidates will be honest at this point in the conversation, and will provide you with any hesitation they might have. You should also be continually evaluating if they are expecting any other offers. Not everyone will be forthright, but plenty of candidates are.

7. Don’t exclusively rely on your recruiter:? This is by no means a knock on HR or Recruitment Professionals (being one myself). But when a hiring manager conducts one or two interviews and then disappears as part of the process, it can be a bit jarring. I recommend what is called the, “The Big Warm Hug”. During the end stages, take the candidate out for lunch, drinks, or dinner. This shows interest in the candidate but also gives you a chance to chat outside of a more formal process and setting. The rapport you can build here can make a huge difference.

8. Provide a competitive compensation and benefits package:? This should be a no-brainer, but if you are going to go through all this effort…give the candidate an offer that they will accept. Sometimes you might find yourself in a bidding war, but most times candidates are leaning one way or another. My recommendation regardless is don’t play games. Nothing puts a bad taste in peoples’ mouths like getting lowballed. It takes all the joy out of the experience and at the end of the day, doesn’t necessarily lead to a better negotiation.

So now you have it. Eight easy things that you can do to increase the chances that candidates who reach the finish line will actually say "yes". It is by no means a guarantee, but if you aren’t doing some of these things, it can change the results you are seeing. I can talk about this for days, so if you want to discuss further, feel free to connect and message me.?