The hiring team has found a great candidate, an attractive offer is on the table, but the prospect hesitates to sign on. For some reason they are stuck, and without an additional push, they may take the easy route, decline the offer, stay in their existing job – and you’ve lost a strong hire.

To resolve the stalemate, the head of HR or the hiring manager may call the candidate to persuade them to come on board. But this may not work. Or they may conclude that the candidate is not so excited about the company, good riddance, best to let them go. But that leaves the position unfilled.

A Call from the Top

A creative solution is to pull out the big guns and have the CEO contact the candidate directly. This approach must be used sparingly, as a last resort. But the impact of the head of the company taking the initiative to get in touch in person – by telephone, video call or even face-to-face – impresses candidates and often serves as the final touch to convince them to join the team.

“There is no substitute for getting the CEO directly involved,” says Richard Syretz, COO of the Arlington, VA-based Ideal Innovations, Inc., a security contractor that works extensively with the US government. The company’s mantra is Winning, Manning and Performing, so it is essential to get the right expertise in place and on time to ensure successful execution of projects. If a key candidate hesitates about coming on board and other options like flex working or enhanced compensation do not work, a solution must be found. “There’s just something about that top person making a personal call to a candidate that grabs their attention and makes them feel important and needed by the company. It creates an impression every time.”

Bringing in the Chief

1. The first step is for HR and the hiring manager to find that great candidate. In the process, they need to sell the unique benefits of working for the company. From the first job ad throughout the interview process, they must pitch the opportunity and the benefits, the culture and the vision. Read how Fireclay Tile’s company values and powerful social mission work as magnets for top talent.
2. Most candidates should be eager to sign on. But in rare cases when a fantastic potential hire hesitates, consider bringing in the CEO. The solution is unique for midsized firms – in small firms, the CEO is probably already involved; in large ones, the CEO won’t have time. But in competition with other midsized companies, this move will set your firm apart.
3. Preparation is key. HR or the hiring manager should create a one-pager on the candidate, covering background and interests, strengthens and achievements, as well as the sticking points. This should give a busy CEO everything needed to ensure a successful call.
4. Make it easy for the CEO by putting a mutually convenient time in the calendar, with the background attached and telephone number at hand. The impact is strongest when the first contact from the chief’s office is not from the EA but directly from the CEO. The EA can chase phone messages and help put the candidate and the CEO together. But it’s best if that first top connection comes personally from the boss.
5. When a direct connection is made, try to switch to video if possible. There are several platforms, but we use Zoom, which is quick and easy to email a link. Video makes a call more powerful by enabling people to read each other’s faces. Of course, an in-person meeting at a coffee shop is the most powerful of all — on neutral turf and showing that the CEO is truly interested.
6. The CEO should pitch the company but also listen. Consider first focusing on understanding the candidate’s mindset and concerns. It shows the CEO is a caring person, helps get to the core issues and positions the CEO to respond to issues. The CEO should come prepared to negotiate if needed, understanding the limitations on comp or flexibility for the role.

Some CEOs show better than others. If your CEO doesn’t like personalized outreach and is likely to give off an aura of being busy, distracted or lukewarm, then this approach may not work. In any case, you don’t want the CEO to become a routine part of the recruitment process, so the hiring team should always try to complete the task first. CEOs for most midsized company are overbooked, so using them should be a rare occurrence for very important recruits when absolutely needed.

Closing the Deal

Great candidates come along rarely, so you don’t want to let the best ones get away. Build an efficient and appealing hiring process, offer attractive packages including signing bonuses if appropriate, and deploy your CEO selectively to close the deal in challenging cases. Used correctly, this can have a very high success rate. HR may feel disappointed to have to call on the CEO, but it gets the job done, and the CEO will enjoy being given a role in the “win.”

At Ideal Innovations, a perfect candidate for a vital, hard-to-fill position started raising detailed questions about standard IP provisions in the employee contract, even calling in a lawyer to review the agreement. No matter how many reassurances he was given, he wouldn’t budge. Unable to get to the bottom of the problem, the team called in the CEO, who was able to gain his confidence and find out that the real issue was he couldn’t afford the relocation. A modest allowance was readily agreed, and he promptly signed on.

“That was a really important hire for us, and no one else could have gotten it,” says Syretz, who uses the approach selectively but so far with a 100% success rate. “When the CEO calls, it sets a level of trust. This guy’s not calling to play games with me or snooker me on the language of the agreement. What comes across is his passion for the company. He’s the decision-maker, he can address the job, the salary, relocation costs or whatever the real issue is, and he can get the deal done. Above all, he’s the CEO and he wants me. That’s really powerful.”