The close.  It’s one of the most discussed topics in talent recruitment.  It’s worth a fresh look, particularly given the highly competitive market today.

In today’s market, we find it’s more important than ever to shorten the hiring cycle.  The challenge is to do this without sacrificing due diligence in assessing the candidate and arriving at the ‘hire’ decision.  That leaves opportunity to shorten the cycle of closing the candidate once that decision has been reached.

Here are some tips which could help accelerate the successful close of your candidates:

1. Listen to what the candidate wants.  Early and often.  Understanding what is important to them will help you identify not just the financial levers but also the emotional ones.
2. Ask specific questions early in the assessment process. Don’t settle for vague answers to questions that result in answers like:  I want work/life balance.  Dig deeper – ask them to elaborate.  You can’t sell the job later if you don’t understand their specific points of interest.
3. Sell the impact of the role.  Candidates need to understand the importance and specific impact of this role for the company’s success. Focusing on title, team size and responsibilities is not enough.  Candidates want a job that matters.
4. Connect with the candidate on a social and personal level.  Meeting the candidate outside of an office setting – a coffee meeting or even sharing a meal can go a long way in establishing a mutual level of personal comfort
5. Eliminate surprises in the offer.  Preview and pre-sell the core components before presentation of the offer.  And always present the offer as part of a conversation.

Above all, do this early.  Not only will the close be a smoother process, you will also have more data points in assessing the viability of the candidate.