Pri Chauhan – Steps aftermarket hiring managers should take between offering a new hire the post – and when they actually start.
These days, even a firm agreement in the form of a signed contract isn’t enough to guarantee that a candidate will show up on their start date. With mass skills shortages in the automotive industry in general, and the power placed increasingly in a candidate’s hands, expert recruiters and employers are both finding it more and more difficult to secure excellent people for job vacancies.
As a recruiter, our job is to have ideally have multiple candidate options for filling a position. What is sometimes overlooked is how experienced and skilled candidates have just as many choices for which door they walk through next…
From the job offer stage, to the start date, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Here’s my three top tips on how to close a candidate on a job offer:
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Knowing your audience is worth thinking about before you even think about prepare a job specification. Get to know the industry that your candidates’ work within, and ensure that any and all communications around the position use relevant language and buzz words to suit.
A Regional Manager will look for different benefits to someone seeking a job as a Parts Advisor. Yes, these are extreme examples, but the distinction should be that clear. Whatever you say and do now will have a lasting impact on your new employee; and we all know what’s said about first impressions.
Just like the old cliché, ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,’Your job adverts should be dressed up with convincing language that compels the right candidates to apply. Using the right tone of voice will also benefit your brand as a recruiter,
letting candidates know that you truly understand their industry and its requirements, too.
WINE AND DINE
Once you’ve made a candidate an offer and they have verbally accepted…call them! Let them know how happy you are that they have chosen your business to continue their career and remind them again why you chose them in the first place. Arrange to take them out for a bite to eat. Make them feel valued, integral, and above all, important. This is their moment in the sun so let them bask in it. You will reap the benefits later, and this is but a small investment in a potentially lucrative relationship.
Put the whole recruitment process behind you at this point, and let the candidate look forward by keeping the momentum and excitement going about their new role. Make sure that any doubts your candidate may have are dispelled through warm and inviting language, and an excellent all round experience. Every part of the candidate’s journey, from the application to the start date, should reflect your brand.
Make sure you show the candidate why they’ve made the right career choice. Most people just need a little validation to be happy with a decision that they’ve made.
Promote conversation, talk with the candidate, and explicitly ask them if there’s anything that unsettles or worries them about their new job. Good objection handling at this point can make all of the difference. Strive to market this new job in such a way that the candidate doesn’t even want to consider any other job interviews or offers.
KEEP-IN-TOUCH
Four to 12 weeks is a long time to wait for a candidate to start work. During that
time a lot can happen. They might have other interviews scheduled, they might be rethinking the job itself, or they might simply be worrying about starting in a new place.
Small things like a gentle email checking in can be of huge benefit to a candidate. Keep in mind that the end goal is to have a happy and contented new employee that will benefit your business for years to come; not just to fill a vacancy. Communication with your future employee doesn’t need to be extravagant. A brief phone call, or email will help put the candidate’s mind at ease. The unknown is always scary so provide your future employee with a road map of sorts, with a clear and easily defined idea of their eventual destination – your client’s workplace.
In the past a job offer was all it needed to be. It was the candidate’s (and your) end goal. But in an competitive job market, where the applicant frequently has more than one offer, it’s important to make sure that your business is marketed convincingly. Follow the above steps and you’ll go a long way towards guaranteeing that your candidate arrives punctually on the agreed upon start date, full of drive, passion, and enthusiasm.
The recruitment process doesn’t end when a candidate starts their new job. There’s still the probation period for your new employee to conquer to ensure that they feel secure. They are still very new to the company and your culture, and remain at risk of not settling in well or even getting a call back from their previous employer.
For more info on PG Automotive, visit pgautomotive.com or call 0845 643 0497
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