How to Sell a Job to a Candidate: What Employers Need to Know

If you’re a hiring manager, you're probably well aware that snagging top talent and selling a job to a candidate isn’t easy. Recruiters may find ways to bring high-quality candidates in for an interview, but getting these prime candidates to accept the job will require more work.

In today's competitive job market, the company needs to sell the position. This may involve actively recruiting individuals who are currently open to new opportunities as well as convincing those who aren’t to consider making a career move. Knowing how to sell a candidate in recruitment is as important as knowing how to sell a job. You have to impress candidates just as much as they need to impress you (maybe more when it comes to higher-level positions).

Here are five strategies on how to sell a job in recruitment. 

1. Make the Job Description Attractive

For starters, you need to bring the top talent to you. That means you’ll need to know how to sell your company in a job posting. When you write the job ad, it needs to pop off the page, because you will be targeting individuals who are ready for a new job as well as people who are content where they are now. They may not be actively looking to leave their current job, but simply browsing to see if there is anything out there that is worth it. You need to give them a reason to take the next step toward making that move to your company. Don’t just make the description a list of duties; describe what their life will be like if they accept this position (in a short, bulleted list).

2. Outline Company Benefits

Company benefits can be a strong selling point. At some jobs, an employee’s lack of benefits can eat into an otherwise decent salary. You can’t underestimate the power of top-level benefits, such as paid time off, premium health coverage, paid maternity leave, and profit-sharing. If candidates aren’t getting many perks where they work now, you may be able to use benefits as an added leveraging bonus.

3. Discuss Potential Growth Opportunities

Does your company offer strong growth potential and clear career paths? If so, discuss these options with candidates. Talk about the possibilities of advancing to new positions if they stick with the company. If candidates have reached a dead end in their current position, this gives them an enticing opportunity to consider.

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4. Highlight What Sets Your Company Apart

When thinking about how to sell a job to a candidate, you need to consider what sets your business apart. Aside from salary, benefits, growth potential, and a unique job description, what other characteristics make your company noteworthy and worth making a move? Maybe it’s the company culture or the company vision or passion. Maybe it's the softball league, or the ability to have a hybrid work arrangement. Whatever gives your business that extra something special, be sure to highlight it during your discussions.

5. Be Ready to Negotiate

Sometimes you must get down to pure negotiation when selling a job to a candidate. A candidate may be willing to move with a bit more salary or some other benefit.  Be ready to negotiate by determining salary for the role before you begin recruiting, and if you can’t meet the candidate’s requested compensation based on your payroll budget, consider negotiating with sign-on or retention bonuses, additional time off, flex days, or other attractive perks.

To find the ideal employee, start by selling your company in the job posting. Once you have interviews lined up, use these recruiting tips and discover how selling a job to a candidate can secure the best talent for your company.

For more tips on hiring candidates, check out our Employer Resource Center and our self-paced masterclass, Build Better Job Ads, today!