Introduction:
Before a candidate receives a formal offer, that offer is subject to internal review. The job offer approval process involves HR and the hiring manager. Time is taken to consider the salary offered and the position criteria. There will be calls, meetings, and reviews of the offer. All of this will happen before the formal offer is presented to the candidate.
All of the above can create a lot of activity such as:
- Tons of emails
- Many phone calls
- Meetings
- Internal memorandums
There will also be a lot of last-minute tweaks that can cause processes to be repeated.
About 40% of US companies have decided to outsource recruitment. This is due to the costs associated with repetitive tasks. However, a structured and organized process can save time and money without resorting to outsourcing. Those savings will nearly double if everyone involved has to access a single resource. That’s what the workflow below is. A single organized point of tasks that can be run through one by one.
That is what will make your HR process so easy.
Forget duplicating work and chasing up departments, everything you need is right here.
Everything is easier on Process Street. Think Process Management. Think daily onboarding checklist management.
The verbal offer:
Phone calls can save time. You want to call the candidate to see if they’re still interested in the vacancy. That saves losing time drafting offer letters. Phone calls also put you ahead of the competition. Emails and social media messages don’t stand out anymore.
What you are looking to do is add a personal touch.
Prepare your phone call
If you want to encourage a candidate, first check if the hiring manager would like to make the offer call.
Even now, Elon Musk still gets personally involved in the hiring process. This is something that inspires candidates.
Before sending on to the hiring manager, be sure to complete the below boxes to provide all the details:
Send the above details on to the hiring manager in an email:
Call the candidate
So, you’re ready to give the candidate the good news?
This is the fun part. However, go through the below checklist to make sure nothing is missed.
Be careful and check if any work permits or visas affect the candidate being hired. Remember that visa rules can change overnight due to issues such as terrorism. Always do an online search on the latest visa classifications.
The reference check is also a process that is often delayed. Why? With so many sales calls, a lot of people won’t answer numbers they don’t recognize. You also have to factor in unknown emails that go straight to spam folders. Contact the candidate before you ask for references. Have them call their references and ask them to look out for your calls and emails.
The below list covers future questions from the candidate. It also makes them confident in you and more likely to say yes.
Send all the above details to the hiring manager in an email:
Check the candidate’s references
Were the references satisfactory?
Make any notes here that you would like to forward on to the hiring manager:
Send the above details on to the hiring manager an an email:
The formal offer letter:
Even if you’ve sent out thousands of offer letters, it never hurts to check out the competition. Take a look at this PDF which shows how to present an offer.
Check that nothing has changed
Always double-check. Your offer letter could be going out a week or more since you last spoke to the candidate. People move. People get busy.
Save time and frustration by not sending a new laptop to an old address. Call if needed and recheck the following details:
Describe the post and responsibilities
Using any new input from the hiring manager, draft out a brief description of the job responsibilities. Use simple plain English wherever possible.
Explain the compensation
Have you agreed on an amount with the hiring manager? Also check if the amount is weekly, monthly, or yearly?
Show the terms and conditions
Here is where most companies simply refer to an employee handbook that weighs two tons.
You want to show you’re different. This is the best place to put yourself in the new hire’s shoes before drafting out those Ts+Cs.
Decide on the probationary period (if applicable)
Again, you’ll need to discuss this one with the hiring manager. The probationary period is a fantastic opportunity to evaluate a new hire’s performance.
Most probation periods now last, on average, from three to six months.
The job offer approval:
Set up a meeting to discuss the new position
If the new position needs to be discussed further, consider installing Calendly on your computer. You can use it to coordinate your calendar with the hiring manager. Then add in a meeting to discuss any issues related to the new position.
Finish the approval process
The job offer letter has now been sent to the hiring manager for approval. The workflow tasks for the hiring manager to complete are:
Finalize amendments to the job offer letter
List any amendments to the formal offer letter. By now you should have a list of any last-minute changes to your letter.
Ask senior management to sign off the letter
Tada!
Now, senior management wants to put the final stamp on the process.
Within the workflow, you canattach a copy of the formal offer letter. Then youcan email it on to senior management.
Get the candidate to sign a contract
You’re almost there!
Now you just need to get a signature quickly.
Consider using an online service such as DocuSign to make the process lightning fast.
Shut down the vacancy:
Close the job advertisem*nts
Even if you didn’t hire all the applicants for the vacancy, you still want to leave them with a good impression.
Remember that the online world has a very long memory.
If rejected applicants think a position has been readvertised (when it has not) they will be left with a bad taste in their mouths.
Remove the vacancy from the company’s website
It’s annoying for candidates to find a job that has expired. It also annoys Google and it can cost your company dearly.
Google is now looking to penalize companies that don’t shut down old job ads. It can also affect your company’s SEO (search engine optimization).
Consider letting the relevant department know every time a job is taken down. Google has even offered to help: see this helpful link.
Sources:
Peter Cappelli - Your Approach to Hiring Is All Wrong
Tania Miranda - 10 reasons why calling is better than emailing candidates
Mark Matousek - Elon Musk Personally Approves Every New Hire at Tesla
Young Entrepreneur Council - Eight Criteria You Should Evaluate New Hires On During A Trial Period
Michelle Last - Probationary periods: what employers need to know
Relevant checklists:
- Human Resources Pre Employment Screening Checklist
- Diversity Process Template Checklist
- Taking A Phone Message Checklist
- Contact Prospects Via Phone And Email Checklist
