Making sure an A-Candidate chooses your company over your competitors

Ingrid Kast, CEO at DAV - March 2010

What leaders often overlook, in making sure an A-candidate is the right fit for our company, is that they will be weighing multiple offers. It is as important to show them that your company is the right fit for them. We all know how frustrating is it to spend a lot of time finding a great person, only to lose them at the last minute to another offer. You’ve worked hard to find the candidate, it’s now about converting them into an employee.

All too often people believe getting a candidate on board starts and ends with the interview. This is a mistake that results in the loss of top players to the competition. Converting a prospect into an employee is something that needs focus throughout the entire recruitment process, right up to the moment that they 100% commit. And then for 100 days afterwards.

All too often people believe getting a candidate on board starts and ends with the interview. This is a mistake that results in the loss of top players to the competition

The key to successful hiring is uncovering what our candidate really cares about right from the earliest moment of contact. In a very deep and sincere way, put yourself in their shoes. Address what they care about and you will be rewarded with a committed candidate and the best talent on board for your company.

During the telephonic and face-to-face interviewing process you have the opportunity to find out what matters to your candidate. Listening to what they say will show you what they are looking for and you’ll know how to frame your offer.

When considering a new position, candidates will care about many different things from growth and development to fairness and equality. For the vast majority of people, however, the fundamentals of what they care about will fall into one or more of the 5 F’s:

FIT:

How will my goals, strengths and values fit with this company’s vision, needs and culture? Really strong candidates do not take roles unless they see real potential and the best fit for their dreams and abilities. Show them how they fit with and contribute to your company. If they value a strong and supportive team environment to showcase their project management skills, demonstrate your company’s focus on teamwork, lack of conflict between team members and collective responsibility for outcomes.

FAMILY:

What will this company do to care about my family’s needs? Caring about your employee’s family shows a deep commitment to their success - in all their domains. Woo their families and you will be rewarded with a long term commitment to your company. Someone with a family of very young children may not be able to commit to regular overtime. The single parent of a child with special needs may require flexibility of hours.

FREEDOM:

Will I have ample freedom to make decisions or will I be micromanaged? Top candidates resist being mircromanaged: they stand out largely because their inherent characteristics mean they do not need it. They want to develop their own leadership abilities and prove their worth. Commit to giving them freedom to do their job and you’ll seal the deal.

Top candidates resist being mircromanaged: they stand out largely because their inherent characteristics mean they do not need it.

FORTUNE:

Is this company stable and growing? If I accomplish my objectives in this role what compensation can I expect over the next 5 years and how does that benchmark against what else is out there? Your recruitment company can be of invaluable assistance in establishing what other companies are offering for similar roles.

FUN:

Will I really enjoy this culture, the people I work with and will I enjoy my work? By all means involve them in the fun your company is having - invite them to a team event, include them in an exciting meeting or presentation.

The goal is to get them to say yes as fast as possible, but the interview is not the end of the chase. It is essential to stay in touch with them on a regular basis. Right up until the moment they commit 100% they could still be weighing counter-offers and could still get cold feet.

There are critical moments beyond the telephonic and face-to-face interviewing stages where you have the opportunity to convert your candidate into an employee. The following are distinct phases when you should increase your efforts:

• The time between your offer and the candidate’s acceptance
• The time between the candidate’s acceptance and his / her first day
• The new hire’s first 100 days on the job

Even once your top candidate has officially started with your company you need to stay focused on what they care about: research shows an alarming number of people leave a new position within the first 100 days. The good news is the work you have done up till now will allow you to consciously bring into your new hire’s role that which they care about most deeply

Research shows an alarming number of people leave a new position within the first 100 days.

In essence, then, while it is of utmost importance to do whatever it takes to attract the right people, it doesn’t stop there ( will give you more on attracting A-Candidates). Top people need to be convinced that your job is the best one for them – a rewarding effort that ultimately pays off for you and your company.

We at DAV are attracting A-candidates all the time and we have the necessary experience to know how and when the right candidate will commit to your company. .

The above article is adapted from Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

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Tags: Talent Attainment, Compensation
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