The market in and around Silicon Valley has slowed somewhat, but still remains a major player in employment growth for the U.S. Companies still find themselves competing for candidates who have multiple offers. The recruiter can be a great help in closing a candidate. So, how do you, the hiring manager differentiate your opportunity to close the candidate?
Five Tips for Closing a Candidate in a Hot Market
Get executives involved. Some companies have many layers of management such that employees never get to speak directly to an executive or the CEO. A 15 minute phone call or meeting with an executive several levels above the hiring manager may impress your candidate. It gives them an opportunity to ask high level questions, get an understanding of the executive viewpoint and helps them to feel valued as a potential employee.- Offer “unofficial” benefits. Can you throw in an extra week of untracked vacation time? How about an afternoon off every month so they can volunteer at their favorite charity? Think outside of traditional benefits and offer something no other company has offered the candidate.
- Tiered sign-on bonus. Often when a candidate is leaving a company, they are leaving a bonus plan which they have earned, but not yet received. Set up the compensation so that the first year mimics their old plan or as close as you can get. You might break the bonus up into milestones, such as 90 days or 120 days. Then put in place incentives for subsequent years that are attractive.
- Offer an alternative work schedule. If your business can support it, consider altering the work hours. One option would be to allow the new employee to work 4 – 10 hour days. This is especially nice when he or she has a long commute or has family responsibilities that would benefit from an extra day off per week.
- Allow remote work arrangements. Technology has advanced to make telecommuting a viable option. Utilizing tools such as zoom.us or Skype can make meetings personal and efficient. Consider a compromise whereby the new employee can work from home 2-3 days per week. This is great incentive, plus it’s good for the environment when you take a car off the road!
Talk to Human Resources and find out how creative you can get while still remaining within company policy compliance. To differentiate your opportunity when a candidate has multiple offers can help you close the deal on top talent.
For tips on preparing your team for an interview, read this blog post. https://thepjfgroup.com/blog/hiring-interview-team/