Running a business is challenging enough. Finding good people to fill key roles is a separate matter. You do your best to offer a great corporate culture, offer above average wages and benefits, and bend over backwards for candidates. But, what if your best isn’t good enough and the top candidate prospects bail once you make the official job offer? What could be going wrong here?
There are several issues that you can easily fix if you know what’s going on with candidates. Here are some things to consider.

Do your job descriptions accurately match the actual job itself?

A lot can be lost in translation between the time that you advertise the job and the time that you interview and make a job offer. If you find that candidates seem confused when you make the job offer, this could be a sign that you’re not accurately portraying the job. Make sure that you closely match the job description with what they will actually be doing. Provide a written description to the candidate during the early phases of the interview process.

Is the candidate also considering competitor offers at this time?

It’s very important that you know where you stand as a company and how quickly you need to move when making job offers. Very often a candidate is also interviewing for other competing firms. You need to know who the players are and what they are offering. Be upfront and ask the candidate if they are considering other jobs. The good news is you can negotiate a better offer and oftentimes snag a great candidate if you know what the competition is offering.

Are you offering the best possible salary and perks given your region and the job reqs?

While we’re on the subject of job offers, take a good look at your offer itself. Is this something that you would accept? You will want to do your research and check salary surveys for your region and the job description to determine if you are offering the very best. Sometimes even a few dollars or a simple perk can make the difference and cause a candidate to move on to another job.

Do you take the time to listen to what the candidate is seeking?

During the interview process it’s very important to listen to what the candidate is asking for. This can be awkward indeed, but it is a necessary part of the conversation. Make sure you give the candidate ample time to talk about his or her career goals and salary needs. Listen and make sure that you can offer this or at least get as close to their goals as possible.