Why You Should Let Your Recruiter Handle the Offer Call

When it comes to hiring, the offer stage is the most crucial part. It doesn’t matter how great your relationship is with a candidate — it’s essential to let your recruiter handle the offer call. Here’s why.

A Lesson Learned

In the early days of Hired By Startups, we had a client who insisted on managing all offer calls themselves. They believed it would be a better experience for the candidate if the Founder delivered the offer directly rather than having us, the recruiter, make the call. However, this decision led to a significant drop in offer acceptance rates.

So, what went wrong? Here are the three main reasons:

1. The Value of Established Relationships

By the time an offer is on the table, we’ve often spent countless hours with the candidate — calls, messages, video meetings, coffees, and more. We’re in touch almost daily, building a relationship that’s grounded in trust. On the other hand, the Founder hasn’t had the same level of interaction.

For candidates, making a career move is a big life decision. They need someone they trust to discuss the offer with, and more often than not, that person is their recruiter. When the Founder took over the offer call, they didn’t appreciate the strength of the relationship we had built, which made candidates hesitant to engage.

2. Candidates Are More Comfortable Negotiating with Recruiters

Unless they’re at a senior level, most candidates don’t want to negotiate directly with the Founder. When a recruiter delivers an offer, candidates feel more comfortable asking questions, clarifying details, and even negotiating — all without the worry of causing offence.

Recruiters are skilled in handling these discussions, making it easy for candidates to be honest about their concerns. However, we noticed that candidates felt awkward and uncomfortable negotiating directly with the Founder, which led to them shutting down or not engaging as openly as they would with us.

3. Founders Often Skip the Closing Process

The biggest issue was that the Founder wasn’t approaching the offer call as a sales process. They would present the offer, get feedback like “I’ll think about it,” and leave it at that. But at this stage, closing the candidate is critical, and it requires more than just putting the offer on the table.

Every time we were called in to address the situation afterward, we found ourselves picking up the pieces. But the damage was already done. The candidate’s excitement had waned, they were often fielding other offers and rebuilding that momentum was challenging.

The Outcome

After seeing the decline in acceptance rates, we presented the Founder with a comparison: our offer acceptance rate versus theirs. It was clear that letting us handle the offer stage was the better approach, and they agreed. As soon as we resumed handling the offer calls, acceptance rates returned to normal, and everyone was happy.

The Takeaway

If you’re hiring and working with a recruiter, trust them to do their job. They’re the professionals who understand how to manage the offer process effectively, ensuring a smooth and successful experience for both you and the candidate.

Ultimately, your recruiter’s expertise can be the difference between a candidate accepting your offer or walking away. So let them take the lead — it’s what they do best.

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