You’ve made it through the interview process and you were able to decide on a quality ag candidate to add to your agribusiness or farm. Now that you’re ready to offer them the job, it’s time to develop an official offer to present to your candidate.
While some employers will offer a job verbally and take a verbal acceptance from the candidate, typically, an offer of employment is presented in a letter form. The offer letter will outline all of the important details the candidate should consider when making the decision to join your farm or agribusiness. We put together our top 4 tips for agriculture employers to develop an offer letter for a potential hire.
Be Timely
Once you decide you would like to extend an offer to your candidate, you will want to create and deliver the offer letter as soon as possible. There is a good chance your ag candidate is receiving other offers, so you don’t want to lose out on your hire by taking too long to express your interest.
The hiring manager or HR department should also be prepared to receive counteroffers. Having a streamlined process in place for when you receive a counteroffer will allow you to accept or decline fairly quickly and keep the process moving forward. Candidates do not want to wait over a week to know if their counteroffer is accepted, especially if they have other offers on the table. Be prepared to go back and forth several times until either the candidate or company accepts or declines.
Get Detailed
While your candidate likely knows the job title, starting salary, and location of the role from previous interviews, the offer letter is where all of the official details should be laid out. Here are some tips on what to include.
Letter Format
For a professional offer letter, add your company name and logo at the top, with the date the offer is being delivered. At the bottom of the letter, provide a spot for both the hiring manager and candidate’s signatures and dates.
Candidate & Job Information
The first few lines of the letter body typically include the company name, the candidate’s first and last name, the position title, location, and status (full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, etc.).
Here is an example:
Dear {candidate first and last name},
The {company name} team is pleased to offer you employment in the position of {status} {title} based at our {location} office.
Start Date
Next, include when the candidate’s first day of employment will be. This can be a target or anticipated start date if one has not been pre-determined. Be sure to note if the offer is contingent based on a pending background check, drug screen results, or any other pre-employment requirements in place.
Instructions
Don’t forget to include how the candidate is to accept the offer, such as by signing and returning the offer letter by a specified date to a specific contact person. Make the instructions to accept or decline as clear as possible to make the process easier for both you and the candidate.
Outline the Benefits
When preparing an offer for the candidate you hope to hire, remember to include what’s in it for them. By this, we mean the pay and benefits they will receive. To clearly provide the candidate with the compensation and benefits of your ag company, here is what you should include:
- The starting base salary or hourly wage
- Any commission percentages or bonus structures
- Available hours of PTO, sick time, vacation time, and leave programs
- Paid holidays
- 401K or retirement plan options
- Company-provided equipment (vehicle, laptop, phone, etc.)
- Relocation assistance and/or provided housing
- Insurance benefits provided or available for purchase (health, dental, vision, life/accidental, etc.)
Remember, compensation and benefits are a large part of the decision-making process for candidates, making this piece of the offer very important. The more detailed information you can provide about your company’s perks, the better.
Communication is Key
Communicating with the candidate throughout the hiring process is crucial to build trust and rapport with them, and hopefully help you seal the deal to get them hired.
When sending the offer letter via email, call the candidate to let them know the offer letter has been sent (or when they should expect to receive it). Not only does calling the candidate help reduce any delays, but you can also express over the phone your excitement to offer them a position on your team. This personal touch can go a long way in the hiring process.
If you are nearing the acceptance deadline or haven’t heard from the candidate since extending your offer, follow up with them by phone or email. Confirm they received your letter and ask if they have any questions about the offer or position. By this point, you should have a pretty good idea if the candidate is going to accept or not.
Conclusion
When you’re presenting an offer to a candidate, put yourself in their shoes. Consider what kind of information you would like to know about the role before deciding to join the team, and ensure those things are covered in your offer. Be as specific and detailed as you can, especially when it comes to benefits and pay. Remember, no matter how long the process takes, keep communicating with the candidate and update them often to ensure they don’t lose interest.
If the candidate declines your offer, ask if they can share their reasoning. They may or may not share, but this feedback can potentially help your company when making offers in the future. Be sure to end on a positive note with the candidate. Keep in touch as well, you may have future opportunities that may be a fit.
Hiring quality agriculture candidates is not an easy task. AgHires is here to help fill your team with all-star employees. Post your job today at AgHires.com, or work with our passionate team of expert agriculture recruiters who are ready to place great talent in ag companies like yours. Learn more about our agriculture recruiting services.
For more insight on the hiring process, visit our Hiring Advice Blog.
