You have found the right person. What do you do next? There are critical next steps.

Call the candidate and make a verbal offer. Be precise about the position and salary you are offering. Answer any questions in a forthright manner. Most candidates will want to think it over, if for no other reason than to not yelp with joy in your ear! Be courteous and patient. Give the candidate a reasonable amount of time, such as over the weekend, or a day or two. Agree upon a date when you will hear a yes or no from the candidate.

Tell them you will look forward to their call.

Wait.

Once they have accepted the position negotiate a start date. Be reasonable about the amount of notice they want to extend to their current employer. (I try to find out how much notice time they will want to give in the interview.) Remember, how they treat their past employer is a good barometer of how they will treat you and your company.

Tell them that you will send them an offer letter, then do it immediately.

I send an offer letter the old fashioned way, by first class mail. An offer letter should be on company letterhead, with a real signature. (You can certainly send a courtesy copy by e-mail or fax if the candidate requests it, but do not overlook the real thing.) Candidates appreciate having something "official" to seal the bargain. After all, they are usually resigning a job, with a salary and benefits and other intangibles, and deserve something in writing to assure them of the integrity of your offer.

The offer letter should contain:

• a general description of the duties of the position
• title of the position
• annual or hourly salary
• name and title of to whom the position reports
• hours expected (e.g. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• start date
• any special circumstances or conditions
• standard company or HR language
• a mention of any required confidentiality or non-compete documents
• the review cycle (3 months, 6 months, one year, etc.)
• a summary of company benefits (you can use a referenced attachment)
• a place at the bottom for the candidate to sign and date agreement to the offer letter

Include all of the above points, but wrap them in warm and gracious language. After all, this is a welcome letter to a new employee. You have the opportunity to make them feel good about the company and the position. Use phrases like "I am pleased to extend an offer" and "welcome" and "confident you will be successful" to set a positive tone.

Ask the employee to fax or mail the signed offer letter back to you. Returning it to you, with a signature, enhances the commitment of the candidate to the company and formalizes the agreement.

The real work now begins in earnest.

Copyright © 1998, 1999 by D.E. Summerville. All rights reserved.

The advice and suggestions in the Women in Business column are solely those of the author. DC Web Women assumes no responsibility for its content.

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