10 Ways to Sell Your Company Through the Interview Process

Published:09/12/2022 | Posted by Navinder Binning, Vice President – Canada at StevenDouglas

The selling process should not stop when candidates start to interview with your organization.  Most often companies working with search partners make the assumption that candidates are fully onboard and ready to accept an offer because they are interviewing with them.  This isn’t the case!

Especially in a very strong candidate market, the need for quality and experienced talent still remains a top priority for organizations, and with COVID adding another dimension to an already hot, and quickly rebounding market.

Steven Douglas Talent Acquisition Solution 

Our teams use the Talent Acquisition Solution to ensure we find the best of the best. The selling process for candidates starts with your search partner who should be doing the following things to ensure the most successful search results:

• Engaging with possible candidates who are often not actively exploring new roles
• Working with the client and the candidate to assess for skills and fit
• Getting to know the candidates and thoroughly vetting them
• Positioning the opportunity properly, including setting the scope of work and role expectations
• Obtaining feedback from a client and candidates to determine the best fit for both

Even when your recruiting partner completes all of those steps leading to an interview, it is critical to continue to “sell” the opportunity until the deal is finalized. I advise clients on the need to sell their organization and the opportunity throughout the interview process, and even through offer negotiations.  The disappointment is real when a highly sought-after candidate passes on an offer, and questions arise on why the opportunity was not seen as attractive.  If you are not selling what your organization has to offer, you are always at risk of not securing the candidate you select.

10 Ways To Sell The Company In an Interview

Here is how I advise my clients to continue to sell themselves throughout the interview process to ensure they do not lose the chance to acquire key, top talent for their organization.

1. Create Opportunity: Highlight company milestones and accomplishments in relation to how you think the candidate may contribute to the firm’s continued success.
2. Empower Candidates: Speak to the candidate about how they think their specialized skill set applies to the role and give them the opportunity to suggest what areas they may have the most impact.
3. Talk About the Future: Explain to the candidate what future growth opportunities exist in the company, and how they can expand their role in the future.
4. Make It A Positive Experience: Candidates will always remember their experiences good or bad! Make sure yours is a Good experience!
5. Demonstrate Transparency: Demonstrate transparency by discussing the pay range, interview stage, and decision timelines to keep the candidates informed.
6. Stay Connected: Keeping the candidate apprised on the process is important, silence and delays can be costly.
7. Share Current Employee Experience: Share with a candidate why employees enjoy working for your company. Focus on framing the conversation from a perspective of an employee and provide examples during your discussion.
8. Discuss the Benefits: If your company has a strong benefits package, don’t hesitate to mention it. In addition to a salary, candidates also consider a benefits package when making their decision.
9. Culture Always Matters: Demonstrating organizational culture and values using specific examples during the recruiting process can help to shape a candidate’s perception of what it would be like to work for your company.
10. Be Relatable: No one wants to feel like they are just another number. When interviewing your candidates, try to relate to them and understand their perspectives. Be deliberate, accurate, and honest.

Steven Douglas’s Interview Process

By applying these concepts to the interview process, you will be able to not only feel more confident about the hiring choices you are making, but also connect with talent in a way that gets them excited about a future with your firm.  The best way to get a candidate to enthusiastically accept a role is for them to not only have buy-in with the position, but also buy-in to the organization in which they are deciding to join.

If you have any questions about this article or getting the right candidates to buy-in to the opportunities at your company, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or reach me at 416 986 3397.