How to Make an Offer They Can’t Refuse

“Thanks, but no thanks.” After you and your staff have spent the time to identify, recruit, interview and check references for a job candidate, the last thing you want the applicant to do is to turn down your offer. But there are strategies you can follow to increase the chances that a desirable prospect will join your firm. Making a job offer to a great candidate doesn’t start when you call or write to make an official offer; it begins at the first point of contact. While you are interviewing them, they are interviewing you.

You already know to discuss the specifics of the job opening with a potential hire. Be sure to fully address the larger questions they may have about your company. Make clear to the potential hire how the job in question fits into your corporate vision. Explain your company’s management style and how employee are encouraged to develop.

Candidates are looking not just for extrinsic rewards (compensation, bonuses and benefits) but also for intrinsic rewards. They want to feel their contribution is acknowledged and their talents appreciated. This is where small firms can have the upper hand on big business. You can provide the meaningfulness that can be hard to find in larger companies where workers feel like a cog in a machine.

Once you’ve decided to extend an offer, how should you proceed?

Begin with a telephone call. When you call the candidate, tell them which of their skills made them a fit for the direction of the company, not just the job. Then invite them to join the company. Inform them that they will receive a formal letter detailing the offer and providing additional information about your company.

Often overlooked, the letter is a significant point of contact when recruiting. Emphasize the skills the candidate possesses that got them the offer and reaffirm his or her integral role in the company’s success. Be sure to show enthusiasm about having them join your team.

In the letter, specify the salary and any bonus you’re offering, as well as the health benefits and vacation policy your company provides. If you offer such amenities as tuition assistance, stock options, profit sharing and company-sponsored social events or outings, be sure to discuss them. Such benefits are meant to not only encourage employee loyalty, but also help with recruiting new talent. Discuss a schedule for performance evaluations and the feedback they’ll receive as an employee. It is a good idea to include language in the offer letter that clarifies that the worker will be considered an “employee at will,” and that the letter is an offer of employment, not a contract. Give the candidate the space to choose your firm by asking if they are able to accept now or need some time to think about it. If they cannot respond now, three to seven days should suffice.

Extending a job offer with a description of these elements and the reason the candidate is deserving of them may be the final deciding factor as to whether you will successfully recruit the perfect fit.