During the final interviews, you may (hopefully) identify one or more candidates who fit most of your criteria. A candidate who is skilled at negotiating will have several alternative job opportunities in process simultaneously, and even if they don’t, they will act as if they do. If you indicate to the candidate that your decision has been made and you are committed to hiring them, you will have increased their negotiating position and the likelihood that they will ask for an improvement to your offer.
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Solution:
Your objective during the final interviews, until the offer is presented, is to show positive interest without indicating that you have made your decision. To the extent possible, ask candidates the status of their alternate opportunities, their attractiveness to the candidate and the timing of any other potential offers.
The best approach is to try to keep two or three credible candidates under consideration during the final interviews until an offer is presented and accepted. You must remain ready for the possibility that the chosen candidate will decline your offer in favour of another one, or counter your offer with a request for improved terms. In the event of one of these circumstances, your recruiting alternatives are to move on to a different candidate, or to alter your offer to meet the candidate’s requested terms (or counter with a compromise) or decline the suggested changes but indicate that your original offer remains open for acceptance.
Kathbern Management is an executive search firm based in Toronto, helping companies find the executives and senior managers who not only have the experience and credentials to fulfill their responsibilities, but also have the emotional and “fit” requirements that will enable them to be successful in a particular environment. We simplify the process and, through our deep research, are able to bring more and better candidates forward than would ever be possible through a do-it-yourself passive advertising campaign.
Contact us today for a free consultation about your key person search.