By: Vincent Scaramuzzo, President & Executive Recruiter, Ed-Exec, Inc.
PLEASE DON’T
I know, it is so tempting to want to end the week on a high note. To finally make that crucial hire. The one you and your team have such “search fatigue” over. If you had to interview another candidate you might puke. It has been a painful and long journey – but you finally have the right one; and the feeling of making that offer and hitting send is just so gratifying – FOR YOU.
Now if you or your recruiter have already discussed the terms of your offer and have a verbal agreement – no worries. Your official offer letter just confirms what everyone has shook hands on and enables the candidate to give notice and start planning for their start. But if the candidate is hearing this offer for the first time, this can be a disastrous move. Especially with salaried employees under $100K; and especially leading into a holiday weekend.
Sure it feels really good to get this off your desk and “put to bed” heading into the weekend but here is what happens on the candidates side.
- They start overthinking: The weekend is too long; a holiday weekend even longer. It is just too much time to dissect the offer, company, position. Its human nature to second guess and this can create counters on Monday that would have never happened otherwise.
- Too many opinions: Suddenly everyone is a career coach/expert. Wife, Mom/Dad, In-laws; everyone seems to think they know what your candidate can and can’t get from your company. Keeping in mind they have no expertise in this area, have zero knowledge of the job market or your sector specialty – however they will fill your candidates head with ideas “they once heard about” from friends of friends etc.
- The Internet: If you had access to your candidates browsing history after the weekend you would see endless salary comparisons, cost of living tools, Glassdoor reviews and others filling their head with subjective information.
- Monday: They counter your offer with usually odd requests and now you enter into an awkward negotiation that didn’t have to occur.
THE REMEDY:
- Never make an offer on a Friday or leading into a holiday.
- Always make a verbal offer first. Either directly or through your recruiter. Any negotiations should happen here or shortly after.
- Once terms have been agreed to quickly deliver a written offer letter (in less than 24hrs) which confirms these terms. These should never have to be re-written if step 1 was done correctly.
- The written offer should request a signature of acceptance and be returned within 24hrs. If it is sent on a Friday morning (this is ok when terms have already been agreed to) it should be requested back by the close of business that day. Again we have already come to terms so there should be no reason to have to “think” about things further. A delay here is a sure sign of stalling for another offer or uncertainty about their decision.
Friday’s feel good but job offers that day can lead to a Monday morning hangover. Follow these steps and have more hiring success!
Vincent Scaramuzzo is the President of Ed-Exec, Inc. One of the leading executive search firms in education. As a specialist in the education field for over a decade, Scaramuzzo works nationally with Education Institutions, K-12, and Training Divisions.