Employer Warning - Don’t try to low-ball the star candidates!
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.
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I was up for a job a few months ago and a recruiter was representing me for the position. In my job search, I had seen that there were 2 recruiters working on the position with the salary listed as $50,000-$60,000 plus benefits. I applied to one of the headhunters and was eventually sent up for an in person interview. The Owner and I hit it off and he was already acting like I was hired, but when I got the offer, it was almost $10,000 less than the low end of the salary range. I had over 10 years experience doing exactly what they needed and was already making more than they offered not to mention the headhunter was livid because the salary range was given to them and they based their search on it.
I felt insulted and figured that if it is starting off this way, it isn’t going to get any better. I turned down the offer and ultimately ended up getting a position with their competition. The unfortunate thing for that company is that I will carry this negativity around for the rest of my life. I will never recommend a friend for any position with that company as I know, they will be low balled the way I was.
I also got a low offer on my recent job search. I didn’t want to bring up salary first, but I did put exactly what I was making on the job application, so they knew. When you change jobs, you expect to make more money. I was shocked by their offer. The whole process is extremely stressfull and when you are excited that you are moving up and about to get a new job and you get hit with the low offer, it is just devastating. These people need to ask themselves how they would feel if they got offered less than they were making before.
I, of course, did not take the job. Then, they raised the offer. That added insult to injury. Fortunately, I was able to find a position closer to my home, making more money and I am very happy.