• Get the hiring manager 100% involved. Hiring managers must take a major role in recruiting the candidate in partnership with the hiring team. It’s less difficult for a candidate to leave close friends and long-term associates if he has already experienced some type of personal relationship with the new group.
• Make the offer an event, not a transaction. Make the offer something special. For instance, don’t just send a letter. Have the hiring manager deliver it personally, possibly with a few key members of the team. Always make a personal presentation.
• Make the offer about the job, not about the money. If you can’t differentiate your job by describing its challenges, key growth opportunities, and how important it is to a major company initiative, all you have left is the money. So make sure when you deliver the offer, you have in the back of your mind “Why would a top/star person want this job?” It’s NEVER just about $$$. EVER!

Now, even though we are top recruiters, we cannot close everyone! Sometimes, you can do all the right things, and not get someone… sometimes we do all the right things, and people choose another client or another opportunity… or GASP! stay in there same job. Candidates are real people, with real fears, expectations and needs — if we focus on these 3 areas, most candidates who are ready, will accept. Just remember to make sure we all feel this is a “special” event and we can partner succesfully.

Scott Dunlop, Co-Founder of www.biviumgroup.com, a Boston-based recruiting firm focused on the Software Engineering industry, is a celebrated million-dollar big biller, with a combined 18+ years in the tech industry. More can be found on his blog http://scottdunlop.wordpress.com