More and more, I have been seeing a pattern of employers trying to hire the star candidates on the cheap…it is a recipe for disaster. You might think you have saved a few bucks, but it will bite you in the long run. First, if you do get the candidate to come on board, they will start off on their first day unhappy. This will ultimately lead to poor job performance and a very short tenure.
Let’s analyze what is going through a candidate’s mind when they are seeking a new opportunity. Of course, they want upward mobility, a shorter commute and more money. The candidate will tell you that it is the opportunity that they are focused on and that may very well be true, but the need to make more money is what gets them to leave their current employer and start off on the right foot with your company. The employer’s lack of listening to the candidates salary requirements and benefits package needs will result in one of two thing’s happening. The first and most likely would be that they turn your job down. The second would be that they unhappily accept, go into their present employer to resign and take a counter offer and stay.
You have gone to all this trouble of looking for the perfect candidate to fill a crucial opening and now you have to start all over again, costing you time and money and the possibility of having to settle for a secondary level candidate who might not work out and ultimately cost your company even more money.
The smart employers know that if you want the star candidate, you have to make sure you are making the candidate happy from the start. Many employers seem to have decided that they are in control because after all, they have the job opening. Don’t fool yourself because the highly sought after star candidate is always in control. No matter how bad economic conditions are, a star candidate can virtually pick and choose who they want to work for.
Hire right the first time. Make sure you are making a compelling offer.