How to Convince a Candidate to Accept your Job Offer

Recruiting in a competitive market can be a challenge. Candidates are more selective about which jobs they apply for and are often choosing between multiple job offers. As an employer, you might find that you have to work harder to recruit top talent. But what happens when you’ve found your ideal hire only to hear that they have another offer on the table? We offer some helpful guidance on how to convince a candidate to accept your job offer.

Show you’re a purpose-driven organisation

The charity sector is unique in that it’s driven by purpose rather than profits. 76% of candidates say they search for jobs based first on the cause the organisation supports.

So your candidate will likely have applied for the role at least in part due to the nature of your organisation’s work. This should be your focus when convincing a candidate to accept your job offer. And if you couple it with the promise of a unique, nurturing culture—you’re onto a winner.

Here’s what you should focus on:

Showcase your organisation’s impact

Tell your candidate about your charity’s recent accomplishments and help them to understand where they can fit into upcoming campaigns. All candidates want to think their work has an impact, but your charity is in a position to show the fruits of its hard work. If possible, give real life examples of people or communities who have benefitted to date.

What makes your culture unique?

Developing a close bond with people who share similar values is one of the most rewarding parts of working for a charity. Tell your candidates how you operate day-to-day. Do you have a flat management structure? Perhaps you have a fresh approach to encouraging innovation? Make a big deal out of your values and culture and the right candidates will buy in.

Communicate clearly throughout the application process

Nobody likes to be kept in the dark. Clear and prompt communication goes a long way in gaining mutual respect from candidates. If they have a positive experience during the application process, they are more likely to trust your organisation and think of you favourably.

It’s a good idea to give candidates an idea of how many stages there are in the application process and when they can expect to hear back after each stage. Then make sure you follow through.

When candidates receive multiple job offers, the most prominent information they have available to them when making a final decision is how they felt throughout their interactions with you. You’re more likely to convince a candidate to accept your job offer if your application process was the simplest and caused them the least stress.

Discuss career development in detail

Training and career development opportunities are important factors in a candidate’s decision-making process, so it’s worth taking the time to seriously consider your goals for the given position. What would you like your prospective employee to be doing in six months’ time? How is their role likely to evolve?

Perhaps you can offer them some training (either internal or external). If you’re able to show that you’re contributing to their long-term prospects as well as offering them a great place to work, they’re far more likely to choose you.

Consider offering a people-centric employee benefits package

Use our salary checker to make sure the salary you’re offering is competitive for the role. While you may not have available funds to offer anything above this, your organisation can stand out by offering a people-centric employee benefits package.

By this we mean you should table a desirable package that caters to candidates’ needs, wants and desires, above and beyond what can be offered in salary alone. Here are some examples of people-centric employee benefits that add value to your job offer.

Flexible working

Flexible working is more in demand than ever before. Candidates are looking for organisations that understand the pressures of daily life, including caring for dependents, looking after pets and getting regular exercise.

As a non-profit organisation, accommodating these things by offering remote or hybrid working and flexible work hours is a great way to show candidates you care about their wellbeing and work-life balance.

What’s more, flexible workers are more productive. So long as you identify candidates in your talent pipeline that are passionate about your mission, turn up to meetings, and don’t miss deadlines, it shouldn’t matter where or when they choose to work.

A good holiday allowance

Working for a charity can exert big emotional demands at times, so how the charity treats paid leave, and holidays generally, is important. It’s not just the number of days, but how it’s discussed during the selection process and then represented in the job offer.

Are employees encouraged to take all their holiday and is that seen as important for their wellbeing? How do holiday rotas work? How much holiday can be taken at one time? Can leave be rolled over into the next year?

A candidate may feel they can’t ask these questions in the interview (for fear they’ll seem lazy or like they’re jumping the gun) but having a good holiday entitlement that’s actively encouraged could make all the difference.

Pension scheme, health plan, life insurance, childcare vouchers

These are the traditional employer benefits that seriously affect a candidate’s perception of the job. They’re also the kind of longer-term benefits that say a lot about the organisation as a whole. They might not necessarily make an immediate impact on the day-to-day life of a younger candidate, but they’re a highly valued part of the job offer. So if these are benefits you’re able to offer, then don’t forget to sell them to your candidate.

It’s all about how you position yourself

In a competitive job market, attracting top talent isn’t always easy. But there are ways to convince a candidate to accept your job offer. Remember to let your values shine through, offer people-centric employee benefits and speak honestly about progression.  Good luck!

Did you know that your personal account manager can help advise on how to get the best results from your job ad? Post a role and give them a call on 020 8939 8430.

This post was originally published by the author in 2021 but has been fully updated by CharityJob to ensure relevance and to reflect the current job seeker experience.