You’ve found the right person for the job after writing your job description, picking the best job title, shortlisting candidates and conducting interviews. All that is left for you to do is to tell the candidate how much they impressed you and to make them a job offer.
Extending a job offer
In this fast-moving talent market, we’d advise you to contact the successful candidate as soon as you have the relevant internal sign-off and agreement from the hiring manager and any other stakeholders.
Give the candidate a deadline to return the signed employment contract. If you don’t hear back from them by this deadline, you may have to consider withdrawing the offer. Around three working days should be enough time – leave it too long, and you could risk a competitor stepping in with their own offer.
Verbal job offer
It makes sense to call the candidate and give a verbal job offer before you follow up with everything in writing and start the formal processes. It allows you to gauge the candidate’s initial reaction, it also gives the candidate the chance to voice any concerns or make you aware if they have another job offer on the table.
A suggested script for a verbal job offer
As the recruiter or the hiring manager, you should have already built up a rapport with the candidate during previous emails, calls and during the interview itself. Take the time to check in with them and ask how they are before delving straight into the details of the job offer – but don’t keep them waiting too long. It can be nerve-wracking as a candidate waiting on job news.
Suggested script for a verbal job offer.
“After your recent interview, we’ve been really impressed with your experience and knowledge, so we’d love to offer you the role of *job title* at *company name* with a salary of *€€€*. We’d like you to start on *date*. Do you have any questions for me?”
If the candidate verbally accepts the job, that’s great news! You can let them know you’ll follow up with the job offer in writing which will give them more information, including the contract which they’ll need to sign and return (either by post or email).
If the candidate seems enthusiastic but asks if they can take some time to think about the offer, you can still share a written offer and contract with them to help them to decide. They might be waiting on feedback from another employer, or have another job offer they need to weigh up. Highlight how well the candidate did at interview and why you want them to work for you, to leave them with a positive impression while they make their all-important decision.
Salary Negotiation
A candidate may ask if there’s any wiggle room when it comes to your salary offer. Before you advertised the role on Jobs.ie, you should have decided on the salary range and you should already have a budget for the role.
If a candidate’s desired salary sits within your budget, that’s ideal. However, if they ask for a higher salary than the budget allocated, avoid making any commitments until you’ve had further discussions with your HR and finance team.
Sometimes, salary negotiations can take a bit of time – but be patient, and hopefully, both you and the candidate will reach an agreement that works for you both – and you can hire the candidate you want. Consider the entire package you are offering, a smart candidate won’t just make a decision on pay alone. Training, career development and annual leave can all help persuade a candidate to sign an employment contract.
A written offer of employment
What should you include in a written offer of employment? An official written job offer can be sent via post or email, following the initial phone call. The letter or email should, first of all, congratulate the candidate and highlight why they’re the right person to add to your business. Then, include the following:
- Candidate name
- Job title
- Start date
- End date (if relevant for a fixed-term contract)
- Probation length (if relevant)
- Salary
- Contracted hours
- Workplace address
- Any documents/references the candidate should supply (e.g. passport, driving licence, work permit)
The candidate should sign and return the contract to officially confirm their acceptance of the job offer.
Types of job offer
It’s common for employers to offer conditional job offers, it offers the business more protection as it gives them the opportunity to confirm the information a candidate has shared about themselves. For example, it’s worthwhile checking that the information provided by the candidate on their CV is correct, by contacting any listed referees.
Conditional job offer
A conditional or provisional job offer means as a business, you’ll agree to employ the candidate in the role, as long as necessary requirements are met. This might include clearing background checks (such as a criminal record), or the submission of certificates to confirm a candidate’s qualifications, such as a degree.
If this is the case, make sure this is clearly referenced in your written job offer, such as:
The job offer laid out above is dependent on the following:
- Garda Vetting (please provide confirmation)
- Proof of past employment (please share contact details for two previous referees)
- Valid passport or driving licence (please share photocopies)
Please complete the above within *X* working days.
With this, you might consider including a probation period as part of an employment contract. This means that if the candidate’s work is not up to scratch once they’ve worked with you for a certain length of time, as an employer you can dismiss them without the employee serving their notice period. Typically, probation lasts around three months, but can last as long as six – it’s up to you as an employer to decide what works best for your business. Either way, make sure these terms are clear in the contract.
Unconditional job offer
An unconditional job offer means that the business is committed to offering the candidate the job and they are satisfied that the person meets the expectations of the role – there’s no need for further checks or documentation before a candidate can officially become an employee.
Once a candidate has accepted your job offer, ensure you have a robust onboarding plan that allows them to hit the ground running in your business.
