Great recruiters do five things very well (I call them the GRE ó the “Great Recruiter Essentials”):
Over the past two years, I’ve written numerous articles covering the first four Great Recruiter Essentials. In this article, I want to give you some tips on how to negotiate the close. While you need the other GREs to get to this point in the hiring process, you won’t go much farther without the ability to negotiate and close the offer. If you have an unlimited budget, or a candidate who desperately wants the job, little skill is required to put the deal together. The best generally want more money, and they have more opportunities to choose from ó including a counteroffer. Putting a deal together under these circumstances is what separates the great recruiter from everyone else. The following critical points should help you improve your negotiating and closing skills.
There’s a complete chapter devoted to recruiting and negotiating in my book, Hire With Your Head (Wiley, 1998). This chapter provides specific information on each of these topics in greater depth. The overall idea is that putting together an offer package with a top performer isn’t about the money. It’s about crafting a reasonable package that balances short term compensation needs with a long term career opportunity. This is what great recruiters do. It all starts by knowing the performance requirements of the job. This establishes the framework to coach your clients and advise your candidates. Great interviewing skills allow you to understand why the job you are trying to fill represents a great career opportunity for the candidate. Great negotiating and closing skills complete the loop.