Joanna Edwards

Closing Candidates: A How-To in a Hot Job Market

By Joanna Edwards, Executive Recruiter, High Tech Sales & Marketing Division Manager

 An undisputable fact: the job market is heating up. Candidates seeking employment no longer go months without returned phone calls, but rather, quite the opposite.  This morning when speaking with a candidate who declared he was ‘actively looking’ for a new role,  I was informed that since beginning his career search on Thursday of last week  he had received 152 emails regarding job opportunities.  An entirely separate call indicated the same trend. This candidate, who was directly recruited out of her organization, had to choose from one of four offers – all with a 10% increase in base salary and a significant equity component.  These are all very solid signs that the job market is better than last year. But with a positive shift in the economy comes a new set of challenges that hiring managers must be prepared to combat.   After 17 phone interviews, six on-site meetings, three reference checks and everyone on your team agreeing that this (and only this) person is the ideal fit, you cannot afford to lose him. So in a candidate’s market, what is the best approach when at the offer stage? Below are some suggestions to help you and the team make a successful hire.

1. Knowledge is power.  It may sound obvious, but the best way to close a candidate is to have as much information as possible, and this starts from the minute you first look at their resume.  After deciding you are interested in having a conversation/interview with the candidate, begin to ask questions.  Here is what you need to ask the candidate – once at the beginning and again as the interview process continues: Read more »