it’s not often that i have an offer get declined (only 2 in the last 2 years), but when i do, it’s almost always avoidable.

the wrong tone, a misunderstanding, a poorly worded offer or a hard head unwilling to give a little.

when it comes to your job search or interview process, every single detail matters from the initial call all the way through day one. so if you’re not getting the job you want, or the candidates you need, you might want to do some mirror shopping.

hiring managers

there are 3 things in your control

1) the product you sell

2) the culture you create

3) the offer you give

if you’re losing your ideal candidates, it’s almost certainly because of one of the reasons above.

1) product you sell: simple. if your product sucks, chances are your candidates will too

2) culture you create: this is more ethereal, but it’s also simple. do you create an atmosphere people want to be in that also enables good hard work to be done? are you so lovable and caring but no one can take you seriously? are you overly productive but no one wants to be around you? see last week’s blog below

you want people to get your offer and be excited to work with you and eager to produce for you. if you only have one and not the other, you’re missing the mark.

3) the offer you give: I want to focus on this as frankly this is where most offers die. if your product stinks and your culture is mid, you’re liking losing the best candidates early on. but if your culture and product are great and you’re losing offers, your offer is likely to blame. a good offer has 3 main keys

• cash: base, bonus commission etc

• equity: what piece of this pie do i get to own

• benefits: health, pto, 401k, snacks, whatever.

while, i’ve never seen an offer declined over benefits, i’ve seen too many declined over a sloppy or subpar cash/equity offering. if you’re at the stage where you want to pay someone to provide value for your team, then you have to ask yourself a few questions

“what is this person worth to me"
“what is this person worth to the market” - imo more important
“can i afford to not hire this person”
“how much does this open seat cost me every month?”

if you’re struggling to pay market rate because you don’t think they’re “worth it”, then ask yourself these questions

“do our biggest competitors have these seats filled?”
“is having this role filled an advantage over others?”
“do i want my competition to hire them?”
“if i don’t fill this role, will my current team be unhappy with me?”

i had my second offer in 2 years declined a few weeks ago. you know why? pride.

the ceo said of my candidates counter offer “hahahah as if they’re going to add that much value to our company”. who did they say that about? a founding ae. what did they say that about? $27k in equity at current valuation for a rep with a $1.5m quota.

you know where they’re going? their biggest competitor. you know what that ceo has now? an empty candidate pipeline and no recruiting support from big dog (me. that’s me. i'm 5 9)

Industry pro. all the contacts. a been there done that. lost over $27k with a mid-tier base/ote and an unproven product/pmf.

you know what we call that? silly.

if you’re still here and you’re a hiring manager struggling to justify making a great hire, then ask yourself, "can i afford to not hire them?”

candidates

if you’re not getting offers, then it’s 100% on you. yes the market can be tough. yes the process is hard. yes being unemployed is painful (been there). but, at the end of the day, this is on you. hard truth? yes. but freeing? also yes.

if failure is on you, then so is success.

if you’re struggling to get an offer, get back to basics.

start with 3 basic questions:

1) what do you want to do?
keep it simple and stick with job titles. your ‘passion for connecting customers with impactful business solutions’ means nothing. just keep it simple. ae? pmm? janitor? call it what it is.

2) where do you want to do it?
think of 3 to 5 great companies where you can see yourself doing this job. go big and grandiose. the best in the biz. then create a downline. who are their best competitors? what companies/products do they integrate with/support? what companies are adjacent that you’d be interested in?

3) do you have the proven ability to do it?
if you’re unemployed, now is not the best time for a career pivot. get yourself a paycheck first, then work on the pivot. just because you can see a through-line of how your experience is relevant, doesn’t mean they can or even want to. pursue opportunities that are a stretch, sure. but keep it simple and focus on relevant roles where when the hiring manager sees your profile, they want to talk to you.

it’s hard to get offers for jobs you’re simply not qualified for.

now, once you’ve figured out which jobs to apply for, the rest of it truly is on you.

send a follow-up after every damn email.

be thorough in your prep and show you actually care.

know why they should hire you and be able to communicate it clearly.

there’s so much to this and I know this is loaded. if you’re struggling to navigate your search and need some help, I’m happy to chat.

tldr

take ownership and responsibility. it’s not about blame or fault, it’s about owning what you can control to get yourself closest to the best possible outcome.

music for your friday