You have had a position open for who knows how long...days, weeks, months? You finally interview a candidate that you would like to hire. They go through a long process meeting with your staff, your HR team and maybe even your boss. You do a background check, clear professional references, verify education and credentials, negotiate an offer and receive an acceptance. Somewhere before the start date you get the call, I am not going to join your company. Now it is back to the drawing board.
What went wrong?
Some of the things that happen begin with allowing too much time between acceptance and start date. You are allowing their current firm to leverage their advantages to retain them. The issues that you are challenged by may be familiarity, long time relationships, an enhanced ability to provide a raise or resolve other issues that concerned the candidate in the first place. Regardless, giving them too much time before they start puts you at a disadvantage.
Maybe it is about the money. Some clients tell me that they don't like to hire people that are moving for money. I truly don't understand this concept. Money is how we keep score. If you don't offer enough money to insure that a counter from their current firm is unlikely you will often will miss. Professionals invest heavily in their career between tuition, professional licensing and certification, time, and the development of skills. They certainly deserve to be compensated at the highest level for the value that they provide. I am certain as a business owner or leader that you are attempting to maximize your return on investment. Why shouldn't the professionals that you are recruiting do the same? Furthermore, money is also psychological. It is a thank you and a reward. Often when a professional tells me that they feel unrewarded at their current firm I learn that they feel unfairly compensated during deeper questioning. Don't put your ability to hire at risk by allowing their employer to fix that problem easily. Unfortunately, your salary administration structure and your billing rates are not the problem of the professionals that you seek to attract. Everyone of your competitors deals with the same issue. Perhaps your billing rates need revised or you need to view the potential new hire with an eye for added value that they may provide during your interview process.
Communication is key. During the interview process it is incumbent upon you to repeatedly articulate your value proposition, communicate regularly with the prospect, have a timely process where time frames for each step are established and communicated and what expectations should be. Once an offer is accepted, a lack of communications before the start date frequently leads to a counter offer from their current firm or acceptance of another offer elsewhere. Stay engaged. Ideally a start date should be 2 weeks from the acceptance of an offer to limit the chance of a counter offer. During that time someone from your organization, preferably someone that they have met during the interview process, should call the candidate. Communications should be several times weekly and include discussions about questions regarding benefits, equipment needed, pressure being exerted from their current company to stay and more. Continue to reinforce how pleased you are to have them.
Even during the pandemic competition for educated and qualified talent is fierce. Be sure you are ready to do what is needed to make the hire when you find the person that you need.
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