Three ways to help nurture a candidate so they say yes to a role
Too many times, I have heard of candidates reaching a final offer stage but still not being ready to commit and ‘jump’ to a new challenge. Here are three simple steps you can take during the interview process to help secure the right person.
1) Early dialogue matters: During the initial stages of the process, where both sides are testing each other to see if there is a fit, the recruiter needs to open-up conversations with the candidate. Questions need to explore their feelings towards the role and any concerns. Dig deeper to understand the candidate’s current situation and aspirations. Then gauge the importance of any concerns. Air apprehensions with the hiring team, so these can be addressed throughout the recruitment process.
2) Meet the team: This will help both with addressing any concerns, as above, but also help candidates start to feel part of the team that they could be joining. This helps to literally calm apprehensive thoughts, with facts.
3) Answer the detailed questions: Sometimes candidates want to know specific details about the role. Tell them. Don’t be vague and evasive. This will provide them reassurance, helping them to visualise themselves in the role and influencing their thinking before they join you.
Recently, I was working with a small consulting firm, who was very keen on hiring a candidate from a bigger firm, in a lateral move; I had matched the opportunity to a candidate’s skills and aspirations. This role would provide a better chance of achieving her medium-term goals than remaining within her current employer.
Let’s call this candidate Rachel.
Rachel enjoyed the early stages of the interview process, believing that there was good synergy between what she wanted and what the firm could offer. However, both the hiring manager and I had a concern that she was not going to join if we offered. We couldn’t explain why it was just a hunch we both felt. We paused the process, before the final panel interview – which we were confident that Rachel would sail through. This pause enabled me to ask appropriate questions to understand Rachel’s concerns. We discovered two potential ‘sticking points’. One was around culture, moving to a smaller team. And two was around specific work type.
We set up two meetings. One to speak to Jignesh, who had joined from a similar, larger firm, nine months previously, to explain his experiences of transitioning to a smaller practice. The second meeting was a with a seasoned member of the team, Emily, who would be a peer to this candidate. Emily provided details on a number of projects, so Rachel could see the evolution of the practice and get a feel for the type of work she could lead. Both Jignesh and Emily were briefed to Rachels concerns prior to their sessions with her.
Rachel was visibly more comfortable and excited after these conversations and proceeded to the final panel interview, which as predicted, she sailed through. We verbally offered the next day and she accepted instantly.
This shows that taking a little more time to understand an individual’s specific concerns and tailoring our process to them, helped us secure the right person.