How to Deliver a Job Offer

 

Here you are, at the home stretch of your interview process. You’ve already held several rounds of interviews, and have conducted reference checks for your top candidates. You’ve met with your interview team who is helping to provide recruiting support, and have determined who you will offer the position to. Once the actual offer has been approved by your company’s management teams, what do you do?

Many people do not put much thought into this part of the process, but the delivery of an offer is a very important step in the overall recruitment process, and its significance should not be overlooked. In order to make sure that there are no surprises at this point in the interview process, there are a few steps you should take earlier in the interview process, and when preparing to actually deliver your offer. As a recruiting analyst at OpenView Venture Partners, here are some pointers I have taken over the years, as well as from a recent article on Boston.com, about delivering a job offer…

• Be open. Make sure there are no surprises when it comes to the salary component of the offer by being open about money issues throughout the interview process. You should already know the candidate’s current compensation (or what their most recent salary package was) before coming up with your offer. The candidate should also be aware ahead of time if the offer may be a lateral move in compensation, or if they are at the high end of the range you had budgeted for the role. It is also important to be open about your company’s policies on salary negotiation (if there are any), commission structure, and start date flexibility before delivering the offer.
• Be prepared. Before you make your call, know the company’s benefits so you can give the candidate the full picture of what their offer includes. Make sure to tell the candidate details such as what types of insurance are covered, vacation policies, and any other benefits that your company has (such as free lunch, or getting off of work for your birthday). These little things are not only important for a candidate to truly assess their offer, but are also an opportunity to show the ways in which your company cares for its employees.
• Keep it personal. Once you have the candidate on the phone and know that it is a good time for them to speak, start of with the good news! It is likely that the candidate is highly interested in the role at this point, and will be excited to receive the offer… so be sure that you convey the enthusiasm you and your team feel about bringing the candidate on board as well!
• Keep communication channels open. On the flip side, if a candidate does not immediately accept the offer, do not take this as meaning that the candidate is not excited about joining your company. Make it clear to candidates that if they have any questions, they can reach out to you any time. If there is someone else who may be better equipped to answer a particular question, put them in touch with that person.
• Be understanding. The hiring process is a personal experience, and each candidate enters the process with their own set of expectations and perceptions. Some candidates think that they should always negotiate an offer. Be careful not to overreact to a candidate’s actions, and try to see things from their point of view.
• Put it in writing. Once you deliver a verbal offer to a candidate, either email them a PDF or priority mail them a hard copy of the offer as soon as possible. When sending an offer via email, attach or include details that were discussed during your call in regards to your company’s vacation policies and benefits information.