While we’ve discussed before what would make career-seekers accept a company’s job offer, the other side of that deal also deserves to be explored. What are the things that convince employers to offer jobs to candidates? We’ll give you a rundown of them with this latest editorial series.
- EMPLOYERS WANT HIRES WHO WILL STAY.
These days, it’s common for career-seekers to struggle when finding jobs. However, most people wouldn’t realize that recruiters similarly face considerable difficulty finding the people they need. Much of that difficulty is the result of attrition, or turnover of employees, combined with the skills gap between the workforce and industries. Vacant positions are harder to fill if the workforce has very few candidates who have the skills required.
Apart from those factors, recruiters also have to deal with the real possibility that even candidates who have passed all screenings and reached the job offer stage can still say “no, thank you”. And when that happens it’s back to square one, unless the other shortlisted candidates are still available.
So what we can see here is that the shortage of qualified candidates aggravates the problems caused by attrition, and is made more problematic because screened candidates can still back out. Which brings us to one very important truth: employers have these problems because at some point, the people they want to hire or those who are already working for them decided that they don’t want anything to do with the company.
Prospect hires may decide that the opportunity is not the one they really want. This could be because the offer is not good, the company’s culture does not match their personality, the position does not match their expectations, or they could have received a better offer from someone else. On the other hand, existing employees may want to move to another company with better opportunities, compensation, benefits, work environment and culture.
The unfortunate fact of this is that it will always happen. People constantly change their goals and priorities throughout life, which is why they will pursue the opportunities that can help fulfill their purpose. Companies cannot completely change their employee retention strategies, including compensation packages or workplace culture, just to satisfy those employees they want to keep.
But to be fair, employers are often willing to negotiate and compromise on a job offer that will satisfy all parties involved. This is something that most career-seekers do not consider, as they are too focused on achieving exactly what they want and are not willing to accept reasonable alternatives. Sometimes, they are better off for it because they avoided working for a company that really doesn’t place much value on its people. But other times, they turn down alternative offers from reputable organizations that would actually have plans for their growth and advancement. The logic that career-seekers miss here is this: if the company is willing to meet you halfway during the job offer, they are serious about making you a part of the organization and they will do everything in their power to keep you satisfied in return for your loyalty and good performance, including giving you a pay raise and additional benefits or even promotion opportunities at certain points during your stay.
So what are we saying here? If there are only a few things that you don’t like about the offer, and the job itself is a perfect match for your skills and personality, do try to negotiate. If the company is willing to meet you halfway, then they will definitely be open to your later requests for a performance-based raise or promotion because they would want you to stay. That’s how you’ll know that the opportunity you pursued is a keeper, so hold on to it when it’s offered and be open to discussing your future throughout your stay with the employer. We’re not telling you to stay for the rest of your career, but do try to maximize the possibilities available in your work relationship with the company before moving on to other opportunities. This will also make your resumé look great, because it won’t look like a choosy job-hopper’s resumé.
And a word for employers: when your shortlisted candidates or high-performing employees do take the risk of negotiating, try to be flexible. In particular, don’t make an offer that will take away one good thing without replacing it with another. Even a little measure of generosity and good value judgment will work wonders for your offer acceptance or employee retention rates. In the long run, employees who have been willing to negotiate with you will be loyal, and you’ll find that it was worth the investment.