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Todd's a rookie
recruiter, and he just dodged a bullet.
His candidate
said he would need a minimum salary of $65,000 to change jobs.
So Todd sent the candidate to an interview with his
client. Three weeks and two interviews later, the employer
told Todd he wanted to extend an offer.
"What
sort of salary did you have in mind?" asked
Todd.
"Well, your candidate is pretty good, but he's
weak in several areas," said the employer. "So we're going to
offer him $52,000, which we feel is fair market value for a
person with his experience."
The wheels began to spin
in Todd's head. Three weeks earlier, the candidate said he
needed $65,000. And today the employer wants to offer him
$52,000.
If I can get the employer to split the
difference,
thought Todd, the candidate will probably
accept.
So Todd rolled the dice. "Mr. Employer,
your offer is too low. In my opinion, it'll take at least
$58,000 for the candidate to accept the job."
"Is that
so?" said the employer. "I'll call you
back."
Twist and Shout
Ten minutes
later, Todd's phone rang. It was the employer
and he was furious.
"I decided to call the candidate myself,"
he shouted. "And guess what? He accepted my offer of
$52,000."
"He did?" said Todd.
"Yes, and I
certainly don't appreciate your greedy little tactics," said
the employer. "You were just trying to ratchet up your fee at
my expense."
"But..."
"Good-bye," said the
employer, and he hung up the phone.
Reality Bites
Poor Todd.
His intentions were good, but his information was bad. He was certain he knew the
candidate's bottom line. Unfortunately, the $65,000 number was
only an abstraction; it wasn't factored into the context of a
tangible job offer.
Todd learned a harsh lesson:
People make demands, threats and promises all the
time and they're quickly forgotten in the face of reality.
To protect yourself from surprises, here are a few tips
when it comes to working with candidates:
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1. |
Do the salary math. Ask for clarification
when it comes to benefits, bonuses, commissions and
deferred compensation (such as pension, stock and profit
sharing). That way, you'll know exactly what the
candidate's earning.
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2. |
Press for verification. For example, you can
ask, "Exactly what did it say on last year's W-2?" or
"If it were necessary, would you be able to show me a
recent pay stub?"
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3. |
Look for the logic behind a salary demand.
If the candidate is making $75,000 a year and says he'll
need $100,000 to make a job change, ask how you would
justify such an increase to a prospective employer.
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4. |
Keep your facts up-to-date. Every time you
talk to a candidate, ask if anything has
changed.
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5. |
Deal in specifics. As Todd
discovered, what a candidate tells you in the abstract
("I need $65,000") may be very different than
what he says in real-life ("...but I'll take
$52,000"). |
Your best defense against
broken deals and hard feelings is to close each side
independently. Despite the fireworks, Todd still made the
placement. But had he known exactly what the candidate was
willing to accept before the offer was extended, the
employer would have been grateful, not hateful.
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© Copyright 2010, BlackDog Recruiting Software Inc.
