You have finally found your ideal candidate and are excited to extend your offer. But how do you avoid falling at this last hurdle?
A highly-desirable candidate in Japan could have multiple offers and a counteroffer from their current firm to consider. It’s a competitive market and you need to be ready to stand out from the crowd.
1. Make a competitive offer
Salary isn’t everything, but the package you offer needs to be compelling enough to make a candidate leave their current job. Highlight any other perks or unique benefits of working for you, such as flexible working arrangements or professional development opportunities.
2. Overcome loss aversion
A major reason candidates reject offers is an aversion to loss. The pain of loss often outweighs our perceived gains. This leads people to put far more value on the position they already have than it may be worth. Therefore, you need to make sure you are telling a compelling story. You need to excite and motivate by showing how enthusiastic you are about the candidate and how bright their future at your company will be.
3. Act quickly
The longer the process takes, the more loss aversion kicks in. By moving quickly, you increase your chances of getting an offer in before other companies. Your speed and decisiveness will also show the candidate how serious you are about them and will make them feel valued.
4. A high-quality candidate experience
Candidates will learn a lot about your company from the way you conduct the hiring process. The values, benefits and culture of your company is being portrayed in every phone call, email and interview they partake in. It’s important your organization puts its best foot forward from the very beginning. A professional, streamlined and thoughtful candidate process can make you stand out from competitors.
5. Be empathetic
Accepting a new position can be an emotionally charged time for candidates. Don’t be afraid to engage with the candidate by asking them how they are feeling and affirm their emotions. Address any concerns or questions they have and acknowledge what is at stake for them.
6. Communicate a clear career path
Make sure you don’t focus only on the next step. Your candidate needs to feel confident that their career is in safe hands. Present a five-year plan and show them how exciting and rewarding their future will be with your organization. This will really set you apart from other offers they might receive.
Regularly changing jobs is frowned upon in Japan. A person who changes jobs too often can be labelled a ‘job hopper’. By presenting the long-term plan they can feel more confident that this change will be worth it and won’t impact their career negatively.
7. Don’t assume the deal is done
Logically your offer might be the best deal on the table. You might think the candidate would be crazy to walk away from your offer. But that doesn’t mean the candidate will accept. Sometimes emotions play a much bigger role in the decision making process than logic. So don’t make the mistake of sitting back and assuming it will all work out. Be actively involved in the process, checking in with the candidate and addressing any questions or concerns.
Book a discovery session and let Morunda guide you through the recruitment process, from uncovering ideal candidates to making offers that are hard to refuse.
