Employee On-Boarding—Employment Offer
Written by Michelle Wachtel, SPHR
Once you’ve made the decision whom to hire, making the offer can be a daunting task; however, it is a critical juncture in the new employee on-boarding process. As mentioned in the previous article Recruiting and Selection, it can save a lot of time and build rapport between the employer and employee to have a brief discussion at the end of the final interview, or on the phone, extending a verbal offer to the selected candidate. During the conversation make sure to cover compensation and benefits by asking the candidate to verify what the offer should include for them to accept and be able to move into the pre-employment phase of the on-boarding process.
If their expectations are different from what was previously communicated, ask for clarification on their reasoning. You may learn that they have received another offer with which you will be competing against.
It is also important to ask how and when the candidate will resign from their current employer and what they intend to do if the current employer makes a counter offer to keep them. If your candidate is confident about joining your team, they will answer you with certainty. Occasionally, a candidate accepts a counter offer even though (s)he has verbally agreed to your offer of employment; however, having the conversation before the circumstance arises, often avoids a change of heart.
Before concluding the conversation, let the candidate know when and how to expect the offer to arrive and what the next steps upon formal acceptance will be. If your pre-employment process includes a background check and/or pre-employment drug screening, set expectations on when those actions need to be completed and set a tentative start date to work towards during the next days or weeks.
Prepare the offer letter as soon as possible after the discussion to capitalize on the candidate’s enthusiasm for joining your company. Send a PDF of the signed offer letter and any required releases and attachments the candidate must return and specify a deadline for acceptance and returning any required forms. A PDF prevents the candidate from altering any terms of the offer without your agreement.
