A guide to making a job offer to a candidate
Great work on getting this fair – the finish line is almost in sight! Let’s make sure we get you
safely across that line.
Firstly, do a check on the steps you have taken so far. Have you:
- Completed all the interviews?
We know it can be tempting to cancel other interviews when you think you have found
the one, and as tempting as this can be, we strongly advise continuing with planned
interviews to make sure you really have meet candidate number one. - Discussed your decision making with another manager or trusted source?
Bouncing your thoughts off another person may highlight areas you haven’t thought of,
which may lead to a second interview being needed to iron out any niggles. - Completed reference checks?
It is not uncommon for candidates not to want you to speak with their current manager
without an offer on the table".
If you find yourself in this situation make sure you clearly state any offer of employment is "subject to reference checks that we consider satisfactory" and include this in the Add Person form so MyHR are able to include in the offer letter.
If you have ticked the above, you are now ready to make the job offer. Acting quickly is key!
Choose a time when you can speak freely and make a phone call to your preferred candidate. Remember to be upbeat and to cover the following:
- Job title and key duties (it is important they understand what they are committing to).
- Hours of work (if you operate a roster, an overview of what a typical week will look like).
- Pay and any benefits or perks.
- Whether or not a trial period will be included for the first 90 days.
- Any background checks which need to be completed, e.g. criminal history checks, and
the process for these.
This is a big decision, while you may be 100% certain this is the next move, the candidate may ask for 24 hours to consider. This is totally reasonable.
Be prepared to negotiate. In a labour tight market, it isn’t uncommon for candidates to have
more than one offer on the table.
If you aren’t able to move on pay, what other perks can you offer?
Make it official! Add your new person to MyHR to have an offer letter, employment agreement and job description drafted.