As our Senior Recruiter, I am pretty intimate with the hiring process here at CalNational. On any given week, I extend employment offers to candidates that we feel would be valuable assets to our organization. Typically, once we identify a candidate we would like to hire, the entire process, from interviewing, testing (if applicable), background and reference checking, can take a few weeks. During the hiring process, I keep in close contact with my candidates, updating them on their status and in general, getting to know them a little bit better each time. Hopefully, when the day comes that an offer is extended, it’s a fun and easy phone call to make with no surprises. What do I mean by “no surprises”? Simply put, prior to the offer is officially made, I make sure that each of my candidates knows what the salary offer is going to be, what their title and job functions are, and that we agree on an approximate start date. I do this so that the candidate knows exactly what to expect if and when an offer is made.
Sometimes, even after all the phone calls, emails and meetings detailing what we are willing to offer, the candidate gets cold feet when I actually do make the official offer. There are probably lots of reasons for this, but typically the most common reason is fear of change. In the years I have been in recruiting, I have encountered candidates who really want to change careers for reasons ranging from distasteful work environments, lack of career growth or they just plain don’t like their boss. These candidates almost always seem ready to give their current employer notice once they receive an offer from a new employer. Yet, some of them, at the moment of truth, shrink away.
While some recruiters and hiring managers take this as a sign of indecisiveness, I see it as an opportunity to show the candidate that their career choices are important and even though we’ve spent considerable amount of time discussing the opportunities awaiting them here, they need to feel comfortable. I believe hesitation is often a need for more information, reassurance or further thought. So when I’m faced with this situation, I give them all the information they ask for and then I ask them to think about it for a day or the weekend and then call me back. I want our potential employees to know that it’s important for them to not feel pressured into making what typically is a big decision.
So, my point is, if someone offers you a job and you’re not ready to say yes right there on the spot, it’s okay to think about it. Any employer who is demanding you to make an immediate decision may not have your best interests at heart. Changing a job is a major life event – we want you to feel comfortable and happy in your choice!
Josh Heydorff is the Senior Recruiter for CalNational Bank. When Linda offered him the job, he thought about it -- for five seconds.
Comments