Okay, you’ve extended an offer to your top candidate. They accept the offer and turn in their two-week notice.
Then, two weeks later, they don’t show up for their first day of work.
What happened? They either accepted a counter-offer from their current employer OR they accepted an offer from another company, quite possibly your competition. Neither option is an attractive one, especially since you’re the one left ‘holding the bag’ and still have an open position to fill.
Why did this candidate accept a counter-offer or another offer? Because they weren’t engaged. Sure, they accepted your offer initially, but then some of the excitement wore off. They had two weeks to ‘cool their heels’ and somebody else swooped in to woo them away from you.
The solution is a simple one: keep the candidate engaged during that two-week period. If you don’t, you run the risk of somebody else engaging them, especially if the candidate is a superstar.
With that in mind, below are four ways to make sure that your new hire doesn’t take another offer:
- Call them once a week before they begin employment to discuss what they’ll be working on when they arrive.
- Take them out to lunch during their final two weeks of employment with their current company.
- Bring them back on-site, show them around, introduce them to future co-workers, and start getting them acclimated to their surroundings and the company culture.
- Send them a small gift with a card. It doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate or expensive. In this instance, the thought really is what counts.
What does your company currently do to engage new hires during that two-week period? Something similar to what’s outlined above . . . or not nearly as much?
You can’t afford to let superstar candidates slip through your fingers, especially when they’ve already accepted your offer. Take pro-active steps to keep them engaged and make them feel wanted—so you’re never left ‘holding the bag.’