Closing your Candidates

Be well versed on the talent market.

The market moves quickly and as such, the demand for some job functions can look very different across a period. Compensation ranges can fluctuate as well. When the demand for a role is high, it’s expected that you’ll have a lot of competition. Do your research and know the market for what you’re hiring for. Share your findings early on with hiring teams so that they may prepare accordingly as well. The last thing you want is to enter the offer stage with an exceptional candidate knowing very little about what may be in store.

Always be selling and closing.

You’ve probably heard this one too many times, but it’s a good one to keep in mind and implement as you’re on your journey with a candidate. Know your candidate’s motivations from the get-go and find opportunities to address them as often as you can. Questions such as, “what are your top drivers in your next opportunity” can go a long way. Answers to these sorts of questions will give you insight on what’s truly important to a candidate. It might be the impact of the role within the organization, or the stability and security the opportunity may bring (with compensation being a factor. Whatever it is, it’s important to find out as much as possible before extending an offer.

Prepare for negotiations.

It’s never a smart strategy to lowball a candidate, and especially if you want them working for you long term. With pay transparency becoming more popular, it’s likely that you’ve already posted a compensation range for the roles you’re recruiting for. Now at the offer stage it’s time to determine which salary is most appropriate for the candidate. Different organizations handle this differently, but in the end most of the time it comes down to the role’s compensation range, the candidates background and skillset, and the candidate’s interview performance and feedback from the team.

Candidates may not accept the offer you’ve presented so you may want to consider using leverage points to make this a win-win for both parties. You may decide to offer a sign on bonus in lieu of less equity. You may decide to propose another trade off that’s better suited for the candidate. Whatever it is, make sure you know what you can and can’t accommodate before entering an active negotiation.

Stay organized and on track.

Use Coda to keep your ducks in a row! When it comes to offers, there are many critical details which must be front and center at all times. It can be difficult to manage all of the moving pieces. Create a template which allows you to track your offers and associated statuses and action items. And so much more!

Bonus Tips.

Speed and efficiency is everything. Make sure your recruiting process is quick and painless. Communicate effectively and check in often with your candidates - They should always know at any given time where they stand throughout your process. You may lose a star candidate if you’re too slow to make decisions or provide updates.

Add a little something extra as a final touch. Most people enjoy a thoughtful surprise. If your candidate has reached the offer stage, you should aim to make them feel special and valuable. Consider sending them some neat company swag, or have their future teammates send them a personalized card. If you get to know their personality through your process with them, consider adding customized elements to the surprise. This can go a long way and make the recruiting experience incredibly positive for them.

⁠

Candidate Closing Command Center Template

⁠

Candidate Offer Tracker Template

⁠

⁠

⁠

⁠

Gallery

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.