By Christina Stroud

During my 20-plus years as an HR executive, I worked with numerous search firms to help fill positions. Many times, they were tough searches to fill and I needed my recruiting team to concentrate on other roles. Other times the search was confidential, and I relied on an outside party to manage the process. And of course, for senior and executive level roles I required a partner who had numerous years of industry experience so they could better understand exactly what I required. Whatever the reason, I spent a great deal of time preparing for the search by selecting the very best agency I could find. As with any project, the more planning and preparation you put in, the stronger, faster and more efficient the execution of the project. For many years, I chose to work with Westport Intl due to their internal talent, processes and repeated results. Now, I would like to share some insights with you as you make recruiting partner decisions.

There are a few key elements that your search partner must have. These should be non-negotiable for you during your selection process:

 

• Ensure they truly qualify the candidates. Not only should they be able to describe the candidate’s past career moves, but also their work style and drivers. They should be able to tell you the candidate’s story and explain why they are presenting them as a candidate.

 

• The agency recruiter should speak with the hiring manager before they begin any search. The hiring manager can make clear what is most important in the candidates, what are the “nice to haves” and what drivers he/she is looking for.

 

• The recruiter should be able describe your company to the candidates and not just read from a job description. They are your face to the candidates, and they must be able to describe the culture, the environment and your strategic plan for the future.

 

• The search firm should follow up with the candidate for at least six months after the placement to ensure everything is going smoothly. This helps your new employee transition smoothly and still feel connected and cared for.

 

Your search partner is an extension of your HR team, and ultimately, of your company. Choose wisely and you will add the best talent to your team.

 

 

In today’s candidate market, we have seen a spike in candidate’s declining offers due to multiple factors. In reality, an acceptance or decline from a candidate should never come as a surprise. The key to success is to only engage a candidate that is on board with accepting an offer.

 

Here are critical questions to eliminating any doubt as to an offer acceptance:

 

• “Are you open to new opportunities?”

This seems like a basic question but still extremely important to ask and establish initial openness to a move.

 

• “Why might you have interest in this role or a move at this time?”

It is always critical to establish candidate motivations for making a career move and revisiting those motivations with every continued candidate interaction.

 

• “On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, what is your interest level in this role?”

This question should be asked with every candidate conversation and every step in the recruiting process.

 

• “Are you interested in speaking to my client if this role offers career growth with only a slight compensation increase?”

Having taken compensation off the table as a motivating factor, it helps establish a candidate’s real interest in a client company and the role.

 

• “What other roles are you currently considering? And how does this role compare?”

It is almost guaranteed that if they are considering a move, the candidate is looking at multiple roles simultaneously. Best to know where your opportunity ranks in comparison to the other roles.

 

• “Do you want this job?”

Sales 101, don’t forget to ask for the order.

 

• “Do you have any concerns or red flags about this role?”

All concerns should be addressed prior to any offer discussion or offer negotiation.

 

• “How will your boss and/or company react to your resignation?”

If a candidate cannot answer this question, it could be a potential red flag and signal that they have not committed to resigning their current position.

 

• “Are you willing to give a verbal acceptance based on these offer terms?”

Pre-closing the candidate on compensation prior to an offer being extended is a key to success. Any vague answer from the candidate should be a red flag.

 

• “Will you commit to this offer if we meet your revised requests?”

Any hesitation by the candidate may mean they are shopping the offer and could lead to an offer being declined.

 

• “Will XYZ start date work for you?”

An interested candidate will have already been thinking of resignation and potential notice to their current employer.

 

• “How will you respond if you are presented with a counter-offer?”

Is the candidate willing to tell their boss, peers and subordinates that they are leaving the company and their decision is final? If not, beware.

 

Nothing is fool proof when you are recruiting and working with human capital. But, if you ask these questions before negotiating and extending an offer, the chances of offer acceptance increase significantly.