Out Recruit The Competition

 by: Brett M. Stevens

We hear from our clients that they “hope the candidate takes the job.” Hiring a candidate shouldn’t be a guessing game. After you interview a candidate thoroughly, and spend a great deal of time and money getting them through the process, you should not have to worry about “landing them.”

Donald Trump was quoted as supporting paying full price for something important to you. Many deals, both in business and in personal situations, are lost over $5,000-10,000. $5,000 to $10,000 broken down over time is a small amount. Imagine losing your dream house over $5,000. That’s roughly $14 per month. That’s a tough loss. Again, if there is something you must have, pay full price and don’t let it slip away.

We recruited for a Tier One software company where many of the candidates were also being entertained by a Big 5 consulting firm. My client was the software company and almost always we would get the candidate (even though the compensation was less and the company name wasn’t as prestigious; it was because the software company did a better job of recruiting).

Here was their typical interview process…

Attracting the Right Talent:

• An Executive Recruiter was always used

• There is something about being “recruited” that makes a candidate feel special

• They moved quickly from resume to first telephone interview

Transportation:

• They arranged for excellent travel accommodations; flying better airlines at better times

• They arranged to have the candidate picked up at the airport by a limo service

Entering the Building:

• They had a welcome sign at the door with the candidate’s name on it

• The receptionist was expecting the candidate and made him feel important

Interviewing Process:

• Candidates were chaperoned around from interview to interview; every candidate was treated as a guest in their house, not just another body interviewing

• After meeting everyone, the candidate had a nice debrief with a representative from the Human Resources department and was then escorted to the car waiting departure back to the airport

The Offer:

• Selected candidates could expect a verbal offer within 48 hours of the final interview and a letter of offer sent overnight mail

• The offer could be contingent upon a good background check

How Candidates are lost:

• Waiting for days, if not weeks, for references and background checks

• Candidate can be recruited away while waiting for the background check to be completed

• Delays create hesitation in the candidate’s mind about the hiring company

• Delays reflect poorly on the company’s ability to move quickly

• Lowball offer after waiting

I have almost a 100% acceptance rate from candidates. Often times it isn’t the best money or the best opportunity they had been offered. It was the high quality interviewing process. Considering the time and effort by the people in the company and the additional expenses of travel, companies can’t afford to lose the right candidate. Hiring is like any relationship: “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”