How Important Is Pre-Closing?
The following blog is a guest post by Sheila Robinson, a Senior Technical Recruiter at The Talmadge Group, Inc.
You got your candidate offer! Now what?
Sooooo, the candidate you guided though a grueling interview process has an offer and it’s up to little-old-you to present it – YAY! If a little bit of anxiety doesn’t immediately wash over you, I applaud you. What if he or she says “No!”? Not that you could imagine it, your client is the best thing since “selfies” took over the internet! But let’s face it, it could happen. That one little word could make you die a little inside and it will likely be followed by the infamous stink eye from your boss and you won’t get to add that little tick mark to your quota for the month. Butterflies start wrestle-mania in your stomach.
There will always be that smidge of unknown, but here are some best practices that can help along the way…but above all, remember to breathe:
1. Know your candidate and what they’re looking for. Hopefully you’ve had lots of conversations about his or her goals & what they want in their next opportunity from the very beginning. Hopefully your job order meets their criteria. Have this conversation early and often. You should have also had conversations about the infamous counter-offer. There are lots of articles out there to point your candidate to, just do a web search and share some links.
2. Know your candidate’s activity. You don’t need to be wary of one who does not want to tell you where he is interviewing, he could’ve had a bad recruiter experience before. You do need to be wary of one who is as unpredictable as Atlanta’s winter weather! If you’re having trouble breaking the ice, practice some empathy. Example: “I do respect your privacy, Mr. Candidate, but if we can get you to offer stage, my client will be depending on me to keep them ‘in the know’. I am sure you understand how critical timing can be. Are you willing to rank each opportunity in order compared to what’s most important to you?” If yours isn’t close to the top, you’ve got work ahead of you and should plan accordingly!
3. Discuss the on-boarding process with your candidate. Realistically, this should have been done before submittal, but if you missed it, address it ASAP. Does your client run background, credit checks and/or drug tests? Be specific. Ask whether he or she has concerns. This is personal, be respectful and explain that you need to be aware and make them aware.
One of my favorite mentors told me that the only surprises she liked came in a blue Tiffany’s box with a bow to make the situation lighter when having these discussions. Practice something that you can always refer back to when having the “tough talks” and take care of all this stuff early so you don’t get caught with your pants down. Your sanity will thank you…and so will your untanned legs in this cold season!
Happy closing! I wish you the very best!
Sheila Robinson has been in recruiting and sourcing roles in the Atlanta market for almost ten years (and this includes fast-paced agency environments, people!). Honestly, I was not always numero uno on my team, but had my fair share of the fame & glory with an occasional award of recognition… I could also be counted on to deliver on the deep digs. I am very proud to say that I seldom suffered fall-offs by consistently following guidelines like these to help me along the way! Now, I am cutting my teeth on some blogging to share my learning experiences, in a hopefully light-hearted and humorous way, how am I doing?
If you are a top producer in your peer group with a proven record of success in the staffing industry, I’d love to chat! Hit me up on LinkedIn (I accept all connection requests), on Twitter @Sheila_ITJobs or at Sheila.Robinson@TalmadgeGroup.com. Make it a fabulous day and thanks for reading!
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