Comparisons between hiring and dating may be trite, but they often ring true.
Though I’ve been supporting hiring managers for nearly two decades, I’m still surprised how nervous they seem to be when it comes to the job offer. It is very much like the moments prior to a marriage proposal.
I shouldn’t be surprised, because the conversation is high stakes for the hiring team, just as it is for the candidate. In the role of armchair psychologist, I’ve observed factors such as desire for acceptance, fear of rejection, and awkwardness talking about money – all of which are intimately at play in a job offer conversation.
While I don’t have advice for a marriage proposal – there are plenty of films that can help with that – in this blog post I offer hiring managers a bit of a script for a mutually respectful job offer conversation.
Call the candidate. Personally, I have a bit of anxiety about calling someone without an appointment but I can tell you, this is one time when you should absolutely do so.
When they answer, say something like, “I’m calling with good news, which is that we would like to offer you the job of X at Y Company.”
Pause for a positive response. This may not necessarily be an acceptance, but something like “That’s great” or “Thank you” or “I’m so happy to hear this news”. (People don’t typically respond with “Yes, a thousand times yes!”)
Then you say something along the lines of, “I’ll be sending you an offer letter after this call. I assume you’ll want to read it over before you formally accept. Based on our previous conversations about salary and start date, will it work for the offer letter to reflect a $XX salary and a start date of [Month, Day]?”
At this point it becomes a conversation about the candidate’s parameters. They may share something specific in this conversation that changes either the date or the salary, allowing you to update the offer letter to reflect that. Otherwise, the candidate may want to see things in writing before asking for adjustments.
There may be other documents that you’re planning to share along with the offer letter, such as a summary of benefits or a formal job description. Mention that those will be attached as well.
Then ask, “Do you have any questions, or is there anything else on your mind at this stage?”
The candidate may have questions or additional comments, or they may simply say that they’re looking forward to receiving your email.
Before you hang up, ask, “What’s a reasonable turnaround time for you to send the signed offer letter? Does end-of-day [pick a day 2-5 days from today] work for you?”
Wrap up the conversation with “We’re really looking forward to working with you! Don’t hesitate to reach out if any questions come up for you.”
See, that wasn’t hard! It might take 5-10 minutes.
PRO TIP: Have the offer letter and follow-up email ready to send as soon as you hang up the phone.