Hiring quality talent is one of the pillars of a successful business. In the current climate, with so many individuals resigning from their current positions, you’re probably preparing to either fill holes or bolster your ranks.
You’ve done the work to locate great candidates, you’ve pulled them through the recruiting funnel, and now you’re entering into the final steps of the hiring process. How do you follow through the right way?
You need to make candidate care and experience paramount. Don’t for a second think that your job is over because the candidate has signed on the dotted line. 53% of job seekers said they care more about the hiring process now than they did before COVID-19 and 58% have declined a job offer solely due to poor candidate experience.
Candidate experience is important to your hiring efforts and you need to think long and hard about your candidate care strategies. Here are some things that should be on your mind:
Strategy #1: Prepare Your Candidate to Begin Resignation
The resignation process is almost never easy. You’ve sourced and recruited this candidate because they’re skilled, talented, and a great fit for your business. Why would their current employer want to let them go? The current employer will try everything in their power to retain the candidate.
You need to have a frank conversation with your candidate. Prepare for them for the possibility of a strong negative reaction to their resignation. The average employee will go through the resignation process a few times in their career.
Depending on the size of your company, you’ll be coaching candidates through this process dozens or even hundreds of times. You should position yourself as a point of reference and stability for the candidate as they give that initial notice of resignation. Give them tips and techniques for navigating such a complex situation.
For example:
- The best time is Friday afternoon. This gives the boss time to react, ask questions, and gives them the weekend to calm down and absorb the news.
- Use a resignation letter template: The template should be simple and gracious. It should then be given to the immediate supervisor, and a copy should be kept for the candidate’s records.
- Compile a wrap-up list: The candidate should create a list of projects they’re currently working on and the status of each. Then that list should be given to the supervisor as an overview with the effective resignation date included.
Strategy #2: Advise Candidates on the Resignation Meeting
Now, the resignation meeting can be even more daunting for a candidate. They’re going to be face-to-face with a boss or supervisor and that individual may try to intimidate your candidate into staying.
In order to navigate this meeting, the candidate should keep the real intention behind the meeting in mind. The meeting is not a last-ditch effort for the company to retain the candidate. The meeting is actually an opportunity for the candidate to provide some final value to the organization.
If both parties approach the meeting from a positive and charitable point of view, everyone can benefit. The candidate should talk about themselves. They should discuss their career, their needs, and their own trajectory. They shouldn’t talk about the new offer they’re taking.
The candidate can really open up and be honest about any trials they’ve had at the company and offer suggestions on things that would help in the future. Though the candidate should be firm in their decision to move on, they can still leave the current company with the gift of transparent suggestions.
Strategy #3: Beware the Counteroffer
Give your candidate a piece of important technical, little-known advice: counteroffers are not their friend. Resignations are normally met with immediate questioning in a reflexive attempt to figure out how to get the candidate to stay. That’s when the counteroffer comes.
Accepting a counteroffer is almost always a bad idea because they don’t help anyone. 89% of individuals who accept a counteroffer are no longer with that company six months later.
The candidate is leaving for a reason. They’ve, at this point, made up their mind to move on to something new. A counteroffer is almost always weighted in the interest of the company rather than the employee. And that’s for a multitude of reasons including:
- Maintaining overall employee morale
- Protecting the Manager’s record
- Keeping a low turnover rate
- Retaining skilled professionals
All of these reasons are value adds for the company. The employee doesn’t really gain much there. Though the offer may be flattering, the candidate should not be swayed by the initial feeling.
It’s not about the next two weeks. It’s about the next six months. And if they are swayed now, they might be regretting that decision in a few months.
Great Coaching is Very, Very Valuable
The process of exiting a company can be difficult and stressful. It’s even worse to go through it alone. Becoming a partner in this process is great for your candidate experience.
If you prioritize candidate care, you’ll not only have more satisfied employees, but you’ll also attract more employees later on. Go to your candidates and tell them that you’ll be a source of comfort and information throughout this process.
You’ll guide them through giving notice, the resignation meeting, and navigating the counteroffer. And that’s just the beginning. You can also create a positive experience by cultivating a good process for transition between jobs and onboarding.
For more information regarding sourcing or recruiting quality candidates, please download our guides!
