Think back to the first time you moved in with someone. Perhaps you had just gotten married or moved in with college roommates.
How long did it take before minor tensions arose? For instance, which way does the toilet paper roll go? Do you wear shoes inside the house? Do you wash dishes after every meal or wait until the sink is full?
None of the answers are wrong; they’re simply preferences. These seemingly trivial matters can nonetheless grate on people’s nerves – they’re life’s little annoyances.
Moving in with someone is like adding someone to your team at work. Your new hire will have slightly different views and behaviors than the rest of the team, and these differences can stack up and cause tension if left unaddressed.
So, how do you address these topics? Enter the Pullback Offer – your final opportunity to address minor issues before making a hiring decision.
What is a Pullback Offer?
A Pullback Offer is a simple process that allows you to address any concerns that came up during the interview process. These could include observations about the candidate’s behaviors, communication style, punctuality, or even the fact that they need to quit their current job.
We’re hearing about more employers dealing with no-shows after extending an offer. Often, this happens when the candidate’s current employer makes a counteroffer that they can’t refuse. This could be avoided by simply asking, “What if your boss offers you more money when you quit?” during the Pullback Offer meeting.
The Pullback Offer provides a structured opportunity to navigate the potential roadblocks and create a smoother transition for new hires.
The Timing of a Pullback Offer
Efficiency is crucial in the hiring process. While spending enough time with each candidate is important, minimizing the time between interview stages is essential to avoid losing top talent to your competitors.
Schedule the Pullback Offer promptly, allowing 90-120 minutes for thorough conversations and expectation setting. Candidates want to spend more time with you before accepting the job – it helps solidify their commitment to your company.
The Candidate Experience
The Pullback Offer meeting should be an enjoyable conversation. By this point, you’ve decided that this candidate is the right fit for your team and the role. Now is the time to address any potentially annoying habits on either side.
During the Pullback Offer, inform them that the job is theirs if they want it, but before they accept, you need to discuss expectations on both sides. Break this conversation into three parts:
- Introduction (25%): Get to know each other better, share hobbies, passions, and what drew them to the job or industry. Build a sense of belonging.
- Validation (20%): Discuss any minor annoyances that could become issues, addressing red or yellow flags related to attitudes, behaviors, motivators, or work ethic. Ensure alignment between both parties.
- Decision (55%): Talk about why this role is the next right step for everyone involved. Discuss work dynamics, team culture, and leadership style. Your candidate should have a solid decision about joining the team before you end the meeting.
Topics to Address
When navigating the Pullback Offer, address red flags and determine if they’re deal breakers. Similarly, acknowledge more subtle yellow flags since these behaviors warrant further clarification too. Here are two examples:
- Red Flag: A candidate shows up late to the interview and makes a comment about how they’re always running behind. If punctuality and reliability are important to your team, this is probably a deal breaker.
- Yellow Flag: A candidate shows up late to the interview and seems frazzled. After addressing it directly, you learn they left home an hour early but got stuck in traffic after a major crash. While it was unprofessional to show up late, we’ve all been there.
Red and yellow flags go both ways. There are probably things about your company that annoy some people. By providing concrete examples to show your company’s approach to management, company culture, and customer philosophy, you allow your candidates to decide if they align. For example:
- If your company believes “the customer is always right,” emphasize it.
- If your team goes above and beyond, discuss it.
- If your managers avoid conflict, be clear about that.
- If you subscribe to the idea that “no news is good news,” communicate it.
Even if these things are awkward to verbalize, it’s better to say them during the Pullback Offer and have the candidate decline than to hire them without clarity and then deal with a resignation a few weeks into onboarding.
Secure Success With a Pullback Offer
A Pullback Offer meeting confirms the candidate’s suitability for the role while emphasizing the importance of expectation alignment. This candid conversation about mutual expectations lays the foundation for a strong working relationship.
By mastering the Pullback Offer process, you can streamline hiring, minimize early turnover, and secure top talent for your team.
