Have you wondered what an employer was thinking? Or tried to imagine their perspective in a situation. We wanted to better understand the employer prospective at the stage where a student accepts or declines an offer. To do this, we asked Melissa Wafful, Next-Gen Talet Recruiter with Electronic Arts, and Matt Weight, Senior Recruiter with Outset Medical, four questions to get their perspective. They delivered!! Read on to learn about their mindset at this stage, what mistakes to avoid, how to stand out, and a piece of advice for you.
Can you describe your mindset and goal(s) as the recruiter/company representative in the offer stage of the process?
Melissa (EA): My mindset is around aligning a candidate with an opportunity that will allow them to not only grow and develop in the role, but, that the opportunity aligns with their individual goals and priorities. While the end goal is to have someone join us – to me, it’s more important that the candidate feels comfortable accepting the offer.
Matt (Outset Medical): At this point I’m nervously excited. We have put a lot of thought and effort into finding the right person for the role, and all the people who have participated in the interviews are invested in having you join us. It’s important to remember that the role exists because there is a need for your contribution (especially at smaller companies), and we’re now at the finish line, so having it not go through can be deflating. However, as a recruiter, I do everything I can to help mitigate that risk by having compensation conversations during the interview process, so by this point, we should be fairly in sync. But things do come up – competing offers, relocation concerns, background checks, etc that can derail the process.Just know this – at this point, all of us are pulling for you to join us. We want to make it work.
From your experience, how have past students stood out when accepting or declining and offer with your organization?
Melissa (EA): The questions! Someone who has lots of questions when reviewing an offer. They come with questions around what onboarding looks like, they want to know more about the office/team culture, they have questions that aren’t entirely compensation based. I’m not saying that those compensation questions and conversations aren’t important – but after I extend an offer to a candidate, I ask them to think about any of those compensation questions for a full day before coming back to me.
Matt (Outset Medical): By being excited!!! I’m lucky to work for a company where I care about our mission, and I want to see that same level of passion from you as you begin your career with us. Any new role you take, at almost any company, is a life changing moment. If you approach that opportunity with excitement and positivity, you can help ensure that you start off on the right foot and give yourself the best chance for success and learning.
From your experience, what are some mistakes you’ve seen from students when accepting or declining an offer with your organization.
Melissa (EA): The biggest mistake – not asking for more time. If you are actively in the interview process somewhere else, and you receive an offer – candidates should always ask for more time to see a process through. Often times, I have students reach out to me to tell me they’ve received an offer, and they need to withdraw from our process, because the offer is ‘exploding’ (exploding in this scenario means they need to make a decision in a very short timeline – 72 hours is a common one). Ask for more time from everyone. The worst you’ll get is no.
Matt (Outset Medical): Focusing too much on compensation. I fully recognize that compensation matters, but don’t forget about all the other things that go into a role. Your manager. Your team. The company. The mission of the company. Benefits. Career growth. Personal growth. Location. So many things matter!! Make sure you give weight to all the things that are important to you. If you think the only thing that matters is compensation? Okay! Do that for a while. But in my experience, eventually everyone gives more weight to those other factors.
Is there one piece of advice you’d give every student about accepting or declining offers?
Melissa (EA): It all comes down to you and your priorities – personally and professionally. Is this a company whose mission and values align with yours? How is growth and development in your career path?
Matt (Outset Medical): Be honest and kind. If you have to decline an offer, recognize that it will be hard for that recruiter/hiring team to hear. They really wanted you to join them. If you are accepting, do so excitedly! It will help get the team energized for you to start with them, and they’ll eagerly await your first day.
Many thanks to Melissa with Electronic Arts and Matt with Outset Medical for sharing their perspectives! Check out more resources for closing the search here.
