Beyond ABC: The Art of Closing Candidates

It's Friday. You have an offer meeting with a candidate you have worked with for the past two months. After several interviews and negotiations with the client, you finally present your candidate with a great offer from a top-tier company. It's his only offer on the table, and he is thrilled with the conditions: expanded role, excellent title, 30% bump in his current salary, higher bonus payout, and exceptional benefits. Your candidate wants the weekend to think about it but says he is 99.9% sure he will sign; you promise celebration drinks after he does. Monday comes. Your candidate is not picking up his phone. Maybe he's busy. After a week of unanswered phone calls, emails, and texts, your candidate finally calls back to tell you he's accepted a counteroffer from his current company.??

So, where did things go wrong? Would a different approach have changed the outcome?

This all-too-familiar recruiting nightmare is a crash course in Murphy's Law (if anything can go wrong, it will) and the age-old wisdom of "ABC" or "Always Be Closing." And if you're thinking of other three-letter acronyms right now, you're not alone. While "Always Be Closing" is a mantra deeply ingrained in every professional recruiter's mindset, this week, we want to introduce our unique take on the ABCs and best practices for closing candidates successfully, applicable for agency recruiters and in-house Talent Acquisition specialists.??

Always Be

• Communicating:?In the silence of that weekend, doubt crept in. Regular touchpoints, even to check-in, can make all the difference. It's not about pressuring but ensuring the candidate feels supported and informed every step of the way.
• Caring:?Beyond the numbers and titles, what truly drives your candidate? Is it career growth, work-life balance, or a sense of purpose? Understanding and addressing these motivations genuinely can turn a potential 'no' into a resounding 'yes.'
• Clear:?Transparency is critical. Ensure the candidate has a holistic understanding of the role, the company culture, and future growth opportunities. It's about painting a clear picture of the job and the journey.
• Courteous:?The recruitment process can be overwhelming. By being respectful, patient, and giving candidates the space they need, you're not just closing a role but building a relationship.
• Collaborating:?Engage with the candidate, address their concerns, and foster collaboration. This could involve future team members in the conversation or even setting up casual coffee chats to help candidates envision their future with the company.

Applying the ABCs Throughout the Recruitment Funnel

1. Screening:

First Impressions Matter: Ensure the initial communication is clear, concise, and respectful. Recruiters act as the face of the clients they represent, and candidates can choose who they trust to represent them in their career journey.

Ask the Right Questions: Beyond the basic qualifications, dig deep into the candidate's motivations, career aspirations, and cultural fit. Uncover any factors preventing your candidate from accepting an offer.? Here are some examples:

• What is pushing you to consider new opportunities?
• What companies are you interviewing for now? What stage are you at now? What do you like about them?? ?
• What are your top 3 priorities in choosing your next opportunity? Why?
• Assuming your top priorities are met, are there any factors that would prevent you from accepting an offer??
• Have you ever rejected an offer? Why??
• Would you take a counteroffer from your current company? Why or why not???

Set Clear Expectations: If the candidate has unrealistic expectations, especially around salary, title, or resignation/start dates, it is better to be upfront with facts now rather than later. Also, inform the candidate about the next steps, timelines, and any preparations they might need for future interviews.?

2. During the Interview Process:

Preparation is Key: Ensure the candidate and the interviewers are well-prepared. Sharing relevant information with your candidate about interviewers they will meet is just as important as sharing your candidate screening notes with interviewers. The goal is to have interviewers focus on qualifying hard/soft skills for the role and not do a rehash of screening questions you have already asked.? ? ? ?

Feedback Loop: Providing timely feedback to candidates after interviews, whether positive or constructive, is critical. However, the real focus should be on how "sold" the candidate is after each round.

• Does the opportunity align with their original top 3 priorities?
• Have their priorities changed?
• Do they have any concerns?

Cultural Alignment: Salary and position aside, candidates will ultimately base a large part on their decision on who they will work with. Casual meetings with team members/hiring managers/skip-level managers may give candidates a better picture of the company culture. Above that, it is essential to understand what "cultural alignment" means to your clients in the context of the role requirements and communicate that clearly to candidates.

3. Offer Meeting:

Personal Touch: Make the offer in person or via a video call rather than just an email. This personal touch can significantly affect the candidate's perception of the company's value proposition.

Address Concerns Proactively: Anticipate potential reservations the candidate might have, whether it's about compensation, role responsibilities, growth opportunities, or company culture. Utilize previous discussion points on priorities to guide the conversation.??

Flexibility: Understand that every candidate's situation is unique. Be prepared to discuss and negotiate flexibility, whether in the form of a start date, work arrangements, or other specific needs. Ideally, the sooner these specifics are taken care of in the early stages of the funnel, the likelihood of closing will increase.??

Conclusion

Implementing the ABCs and best practices above will help close candidates more effectively but is not a 100% fail-proof guarantee against Murphy's Law. Candidates have aspirations, concerns, and choices that sometimes go beyond the reach of a Recruiter's influence and control. However, a "no" from your candidate now could be a "yes" later, which will highly depend on your ability to build a genuine connection that fosters trust.??

If you are a recruiter, we would like to hear from you. Tell us your recruiting nightmare story or your top closing tips in the comments below. As always, stay tuned for more Japan Recruitment Insights from ACG!