Top 5 Rules to Close on #TopTechTalent

It’s the worst when salespeople say they’re “a closer,” because closing is not something for the end of a sales cycle. It starts at the beginning with correct preparation. Whenever you talk about the close, it always comes back to how you start.  Anyone who describes themself as a “closer” knows the truth; it's very difficult to go in at the end of a process and fix any mistakes, misgivings, or misconceptions a candidate has about your company. It’s much better to plant the seed from the beginning of the process in order to set yourself up for success at the end. 

The unemployment rate in the U.S. is currently 10.2%.  In technology, it’s nowhere near 10%. It’s actually below 3%.  As the owner of a tech staffing firm, I can tell you that tech hiring is officially back, and the clients want things done quicker than ever. The last thing you want is to go through an entire interview process, identify who you want, make an offer, and then have them reject your offer or find out they are off the market. Based on that, here are the top five rules to make sure you can close your candidate quickly and easily. 

This is something that often stumps us all; for as much time as we spend at our own companies, it’s a rare day when we have to explain them to other people. When you’re talking to a candidate, who doesn’t know your company like you do, it’s imperative that you pull out the points that will get them excited the fastest. Maybe it’s the industry-changing projects your team is working on, the incredible company culture, or the career path to internal growth. Whatever makes your company special is what you want to highlight from the start. Get the candidate excited from day one about your company, and closing them will be that much easier. 

You can’t rely on words alone to convince a candidate how great your company is- you have to show them, and this has to be a multi-faceted approach. On one hand, you want them excited to work with you. At this point, you are the face of the company to them, and their interactions with you will dictate how they feel about the company as a whole. You want them to get excited about the prospect of working with you, and having a LinkedIn that reflects all the amazing things you’re doing at your company is imperative for that. You also want to highlight the incredible company that’s giving you these opportunities. Talk about initiatives you’re working on at work, or your favorite part about your job day-to-day. Let your passion shine through, and it will reflect brightly on both you and your company. 

By this, I mean primarily your Glassdoor and Google reviews. The key to working with your social media is to be upfront and honest about whatever is on it, both the good and the bad. You also want to do this as subtly as possible. For example, if there’s an overwhelming amount of feedback saying that employees work 12 hour days, you might say something like, “We work hard, and sometimes long hours, but the amazing people you work with and all the great benefits make it so worth it!” Although it might seem an intimidating conversation to open, it’s better to have someone understand what they’re getting in to and decide it’s not for them than to have someone accept a job and leave right away.  The key here is to be efficient, save time, and ensure the people you’re bringing on are fully committed to being there. 

This is a real concern for many employees searching for new jobs. We’ve all heard horror stories about companies mishandling the pandemic and disgruntled employees scrambling to stay afloat. This is almost certain to be a question you’re asked, and even if they don’t ask, they’re wondering. Be open and honest, and talk about how your company handled the pandemic and plans moving forward. Are employees going to be onsite? Remote? What kind of contingency plans are in place for the future? 

Pushing off hiring makes candidates upset. If you interview them and then take a month to get back to them, the odds of them still being just as excited about the role are slim. They may even be off the market, or at the very least, they’ll think you’re flakier than they did before. If hiring is a real priority for you, make time for it. Get it done quickly, whatever that means, and if you realize it’s not as big of a priority as you once thought, it’s better to choose to wait until you can devote the necessary time to doing it. 

To recap - make sure when you’re hiring, it’s a role that you want to have someone start ASAP. You want to talk to them about your plans for COVID now and in the future. Make sure you check what people are saying about your company ahead of time, and get ahead of it. Have a LinkedIn profile showcasing who you are, what you’re about, and your experiences, and make sure you’re able to sell your company with an elevator pitch during the interview. So, when you decide on who you want to hire, and it comes time to close your candidate, you’ve been setting them up for the close during the entire interview process to minimize surprises at the end and make sure you get your #TopTechTalent to work for you and your company.