We know. You meant to call that candidate, but there were so many fires to put out that you didn’t get to it. They’ll understand, right? WRONG! We may get a little preachy about this topic, so please forgive us, but we regularly see clients with an URGENT need to hire lose great candidates because they waited a few days to call. There’s always a reason: “I had to go out of town” or “I had a client emergency.” We get it, but the reality is: Time Kills All Deals. Here are 3 reasons why you shouldn’t wait to call that candidate:
1. They’ll Get Cold Feet
Whether you’re working with recruiters, an in-house HR team, or just searching through a bundle of applications, good people aren’t in the job market very long. Recruiters and HR Managers spend a lot of time talking up exciting projects, desirable company culture, and benefits to get someone interested in an opportunity. When a stellar candidate lands on your desk—they’re HOT! There will always be reasons to call tomorrow, on Monday, or next week. But waiting lets their enthusiasm wane and it also gives them time to have a change of heart. When a candidate feels flattered, momentum is created. When they start feeling ignored, doubts and red flags creep in. Inertia is real. You have to create a force to move people outside of their comfort zones. Unless you’re only seeking people who are desperate and have no other choices, be a FORCE and make sure candidates feel flattered and pursued.
2. They’ll Get Scooped Up By Your Competition
If you have an amazing candidate who checks off the key requirements you’re looking for, chances are other companies are going to be in the market for skills like theirs. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—it’s NOT a buyer’s market for skilled employees. You’ll most certainly have competition for highly qualified people and the longer you wait to reach out, the greater the chance that another company will swoop in with a slightly higher salary or a few extra perks. Once competetion enters the picture, your odds go down. It’s a simple law of probability, so don’t let another company have a shot!
3. They’ll Find a Different Opportunity
We primarily recruit passive candidates (people who are not actively in the job market), so we have to work harder than usual to convince a person working somewhere else that they should leave that job to take your opportunity. From experience, we’ve found that once passive candidates start seriously thinking about leaving their current job, they start actively envisioning themselves in the job market. If you get quiet, even for a short period of time, they will begin to actively look for other opportunities. And if they’re a great catch, it won’t take them long to find one.
Happy Hiring!
