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The Frankenstein Candidate

Jamie was a passive candidate, and he couldn't believe his luck.

Three weeks ago, a young recruiter called with an intriguing opportunity. And now, after a furious round of interviews—and a good bit of haggling—Jamie was riding high.

The company made an offer, but Jamie turned it down. Of course, if he'd actually needed a job, he would have jumped all over it. But Jamie was already employed.

With nothing to lose, Jamie pushed for more. A sign-on bonus. An extra week's vacation. And a 90-day performance review. Incredibly, the company said yes. And Jamie was delighted.

Trouble in Paradise

Tina, however, was worried. As a recruiter, she had done everything right—or so she thought.

She had cold-called Jamie, who was perfect for the job. She set up the interviews, checked the references and pushed the company to make an offer.

Even after Jamie rejected the initial offer and took over the negotiations, Tina was optimistic. She sensed the company would meet his demands, and sure enough, they delivered on every point.

But Tina was puzzled. If Jamie had gotten everything he asked for, why did he say he needed to "think it over" for a few days? And why was he dodging her calls?

Tina Creates a Monster

Her formerly passive candidate was now logged onto every job board in sight, shopping like a maniac. With an offer in hand, he had every incentive to leverage his position.

Could Tina put the genie back in the bottle? Probably not. She either had to pray that Jamie would accept the job, or try to force his hand by setting a "drop dead" date, after which the offer would be withdrawn.

In either case, she seriously lacked control. In 20/20 hindsight, Tina realized that she had forced the company to make concessions, without asking for a commitment from Jamie in return.

So Tina made herself a promise. In the future, she would—without exception—follow a few simple rules:

1. Never let the candidate control the negotiation. To be effective, the recruiter needs to broker the deal.

2. Close the candidate before the offer is extended. Assuming all the conditions are met, get permission to accept the offer in advance, on the candidate's behalf.

3. Get the candidate to take action. As soon as the offer is formally accepted, instruct the candidate to call the employer to confirm the deal.

4. Generate a letter of acceptance. Add a signature line and an expiration date of 9:00 PM. Have the candidate sign the letter and fax it back to the employer.

Bill Radin is a top-producing recruiter whose innovative books, tapes, CDs and training seminars have helped thousands of recruiting professionals and search consultants achieve peak performance and career satisfaction. Bill’s extensive experience makes him an ideal source of techniques, methods and ideas for rookies who want to master the fundamentals—or veterans ready to jump to a higher level of success.

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