Finding top talent in today’s market is important, but it’s only the first step in a successful candidate search. Once you’ve identified the best candidate for an open position, the next key step is to extend a strong job offer to him or her. With so much competition over exceptional applicants, this is a crucial part of securing the right people for your organization. 

What can you do to make a job offer as appealing as possible? Let’s discuss some specific actions you can take:

What To Do Before the Offer To Secure Top Talent

Even before you offer a candidate the job, you can lay the groundwork for success through clear and effective communication. For example:

• From the outset, set expectations for the candidate with regard to the hiring process as a whole. Communicate what the interview cadence will be, how many interviews there will be, who the candidate’s primary point of contact will be, whether there will be background checks and reference checks, and when the candidate could potentially expect an offer. It may be helpful to use a firm like The Doyle Group to communicate these and other expectations to your candidates.
• Discuss the specifics of the role’s work environment. Will it be a 100% remote position, 100% in-office, or hybrid? Candidates should clearly understand the requirements and responsibilities associated with the role in question.
• Seek to understand the candidate’s current situation with regard to other job offers. For instance, how many other roles is the candidate currently interviewing for? Where are they in the hiring process for each role? Gathering this information will help you determine how much time you have to make a final decision and extend the offer, without undue risk of losing the candidate to another employer.

In addition to the above points, it always pays to research the market ahead of time. Understanding the different skill sets on the market and their corresponding pay rates can help you create a job offer that will win your preferred candidate. Here again, consulting with a firm like The Doyle Group, who sees the salary trends and skill sets in the market daily, can prove helpful. (Although the fact that this is rear-facing data makes us recommend “best offer forward” as the wisest course of action.) 

What To Include in the Offer Letter

Once you decide to move forward with a candidate, there are several elements you should include in their offer letter to make it as appealing as possible. For instance, the following two areas are vital:

1. Specifics About the Role

Outline all the information your top talent wants and needs to know about the position being offered. This would involve things like:

• A description of the role’s salary or hourly rate
• Its associated benefits like health care and paid time off (plus any unique benefits that come with it, such as wellness stipends)
• Any bonuses that may be earned (and how to qualify for them)
• What the work environment is (remote, hybrid, in-office)
• Any professional development, training, or mentorship opportunities available to them
• Who their point of contact for HR questions should be

2. How To Accept the Offer

Your top talent also needs some clarity on how to accept your job offer, and the timeframe in which they need to accept it if they decide to pursue this opportunity. For instance, some companies have candidates print, sign, and mail back the job offers to them; others use an electronic signing service like DocuSign to handle the acceptance process 100% online. It’s also helpful to provide a specific deadline by which the candidate needs to accept the offer.

Other Considerations

Apart from the points discussed above, other factors could influence how effective your job offer ends up being. For example:

Is your offer letter written in a way that shows the culture of your organization?

Cultural fit is an important element of an effective hire, and you can showcase your company’s cultural sensibilities and values even as you extend a job offer to the candidate.

Is your offer letter professional and error-free?

One that is full of spelling or grammar errors is bound to leave a bad impression on a prospective employee. 

Are you able to present the offer verbally (via phone) instead of through email?

Doing so can be beneficial for a number of reasons. For one thing, you’ll be able to express excitement about extending the offer. You’ll also be able to ask whether the candidate is interviewing for other roles, and perhaps determine whether the offer from your company is competitive.

Can you have other contacts from the hiring process reach out to top talent?

For example, if a candidate’s interviewer reaches out and expresses excitement at potentially bringing them onboard — and especially if the interviewer is available to field questions — this could have a major impact on the candidate’s final decision. Involving people who have already built a rapport with the candidate may mean the difference between convincing them to join vs. losing them to a competitor.

Are you prepared to explain what the post-offer process looks like? 

If the candidate accepts your offer, you’ll want to provide them with key information about the process moving forward. For instance, they need to know what their start date will be, whether they need to obtain the necessary equipment beforehand, what to expect in the onboarding process, and whether they should attend any upcoming events prior to the start date.

Ultimately, the more robust and comprehensive your offer, the higher the likelihood of persuading top talent to join your organization. For more helpful advice on how to extend a strong job offer and win the talent your company needs, reach out to The Doyle Group today.