You’ve finally narrowed down your job candidates and selected one you’d like to hire. Now, it’s time to extend a job offer and on-board your newest employee. Follow these three tips to successfully close the deal, then read through our onboarding checklist to welcome your new-hire to your organization.
Closing The Deal
Don’t Waste Time – time is of the essence when it comes to making an offer to your first-pick candidate. Once you’ve made a decision on who you’d like to hire, make haste and make an offer within a day or two of the final interview. Any longer, and you run the risk of the candidate losing interest in the position or taking another job offer.
Congratulate the Candidate – up until this point in the interview process, you might’ve been hesitant to show all of your cards and get too excited about a candidate. Well, the wait is over – now is the time to show your preferred candidate your excitement in bringing them on! Congratulate he or she and make the moment a memorable one by explaining why they were chosen over other candidates. And make sure this happens over the phone – job offers over email or by mail are not only seen as impersonal, but unprofessional as well.
Put a Package Together – upon verbal acceptance of the job offer, your written job offer should include detailed information regarding salary (including any bonus structure or commissions), benefits, title, vacation time, office location, start date, holidays, perks, non-compete clauses, non-disclosure agreements and any other important information. Thoroughly explain all details about the offer – there shouldn’t be any surprises that come up once the candidate is fully on board.
Onboarding Check List
Before The First Day
- Prep Paperwork – prepare any paperwork that needs to be read through and signed by the employee. This could include applicable government forms, benefits information, job description, etc. Package it in a company-branded folder to help your new-hire stay organized.
- Office Set-Up – work with your organization’s IT team to ensure your new hire’s work station and any necessary equipment are set up and ready to go. Give them access and permissions to any software or tools they will need to get started, including their email address and inbox.
First Day
- Team Welcome & Office Tour – if you haven’t already done so, introduce your new employee to his or her new manager and colleagues. Take them on a tour of the office and show them where the bathrooms are located, where the office kitchen is, etc.
- Review Training Materials – briefly review any training materials that need to be studied by your new employee, and assign a deadline for them to be completed.
First Week
- Treat Them to Lunch – to make the day a little less stressful, take your new employee to lunch and help them relax. Invite a few colleagues to join you so they can begin to get to know each other. The more integrated your new employee is with your company’s culture and team, the more likely they are to acclimate quickly to the new role.
- Collect Paperwork – make sure all forms have been properly filled out and filed. If the employee has any questions regarding these forms, schedule time to meet and review with them.
First Month
- Plan Follow-Up Meetings – schedule any necessary follow-up meetings regarding training, reviews and check-ins. These meetings are helpful in transitioning your new employee into their role, and are more likely to happen if they are scheduled in advance.
- Provide Opportunities for Social Interaction – plan social occasions such as company happy hours, lunches, sporting events, etc. to allow your employee time to bond with other co-workers.
If you are interested in learning more about how to close the deal with your preferred candidate and properly onboard them, reach out to us and schedule a Discovery Session.
