The Pre-Offer Discussion

The pre-offer step of the executive hiring process is crucial to help transition your candidate and client to the offer stage. My firm makes the point to the candidate at this stage to state that although we work for the client company, our role is to be a trusted, neutral bridge between the candidate and client to insure a “win-win” outcome.

The following recommendations will help smooth the way to the offer stage:

Ask the candidate how much current vacation they have and is it their expectation to carry it over to the next job?
Request that the candidate start thinking about who they will provide as references that my firm will contact. My firm likes a “360 view” so we ask for a former boss, peer and subordinate and their respective contact information.
Ask how the candidate’s current employer will take the news that they will be giving notice once an offer is made and possibly accepted by the candidate. Discuss that we want to ensure that once an offer is made, the candidate will follow through on the commitment to join the new company whether the former company offers a counter or not. Ask the candidate to make sure they are in the “full speed ahead” mode.
How much notice does the candidate need to start with the new company? As a search firm we suggest 2 or 3 weeks and anything longer than that there is a slight amount of risk that the candidate may not start and change their mind. My firm gets nervous when the start date is set out to 4 weeks or more.
Review the compensation parameters of the new job and ask the candidate where they think they fit within that boundary. Understand the candidate needs from a base, bonus and any long-term incentive considerations and report that back to the client for their understanding and context.
Understand and discuss any relocation considerations that will affect the final decision. By this point as the recruiter, you should already have a handle on that but clarify any issues related to relocation with the candidate.

At this point in the process, you will be able to gauge the amount of trust that has been built between you and the candidate during the hiring process. If you have built a great relationship, this pre-offer step should go very well based on what is best for the candidate and client so that both parties win during the offer stage. The executive candidate should start with the new company in the weeks ahead if the recruiter has established trust and credibility with both parties.

2020-11-08T07:41:51-06:00By sbalistreri|Austin Executive Search Firms, Candidate Communication, Executive Search Process|

“As a search committee member, we selected Sal's firm to help us with a key CEO search. They made the process painless both for the candidates and our search committee. We made the right choice and Sal's team delivered.”

Michael Bennett, Head of the APRO Search Committee, APRO Search Committee

“Sal specializes in executive search and has delivered some outstanding results for Silvercar. He has assembled a great team and they conduct searches the way it should be done – from scratch! He understands the importance of not only finding the right skill set, but also finding the right cultural match. He does his homework before he starts and does it well. Sal has jumped through hoops for me and delivered great results. He provides personalized service from start to finish and won’t stop until you are satisfied. I highly recommend that you consider Sal and his team for your next search.”

Kay Stroman, Former Chief Administrative Officer, Silvercar

“Sal was definitely a huge asset in our recruiting efforts. He spent a lot of time getting to know our culture and understanding the values that were essential to the makeup of of our team. Sal is a great partner and I certainly recommend him and his firm to anyone looking to recruit a great team. You will not be disappointed!”

Craig Taylor, Former CEO, Cirrus Systems

“Sal clearly understands the culture of the client and clearly understands the REAL person behind the candidate. This allows him to best match clients and candidates because he sees beyond their words and understands their real talents and value systems. Sal also has the ability to present a candidate because he is committed to her/him and their talents and values they could bring to the job. He is even MORE committed to the client’s analysis of the candidate so that he learns from any rejection of a candidate in order to fine-tune the search for the next better candidate.”

Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, Former Vice President Human Resources, Lozier Corporation

“I appreciate the fact that Sal takes not only the job requirements into account, but he also considers culture and “fit”. These are rare and valuable traits for a recruiter and that is one of the many reasons that we love working with Sal.”

Debbie Mitchell, President/CEO, Velocity Credit Union

“Sal is able to communicate our company culture and organic growth strategy and along with his high level of responsiveness, is a great partner to work with.”

Karen Ganzlin, Former Chief Human Resources Officer, TD Ameritrade

"Sal and his team are awesome partners in our success. His team has taken the time to become part of our team so that they understand the "fit" component of our hiring process that includes the mission, vision and values and most importantly, our culture."

Scotte Hudsmith, Chairman & CEO , Specialized Dental Partners

“Consider Sal if you need a recruiter for key management positions and C-Level searches. Sal is very focused on finding the right person for the right position. He produces solid candidates across a variety of industries and will personally work with his clients to help them achieve success in hiring. He is a seasoned expert, well networked and very responsive.”

Kurt Halvorson, President, Imprimis, LLC

“Sal and his team offered a great process with a very good long term result for Lozier. It was a process made easy for our team to meet all the candidates in a short period of time and come to a conclusion.”

Sheri Andrews, Co-Chair, Lozier Corporation

“Sal is one of those rare business executives who truly believes in the power of ‘doing well by doing good.’ He is generous to a fault with his time and his network. He spends his professional capital to help others in his community with no eye towards personal gain.”

Cat Nawawi, President, The Highland Group

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