"Let's send him a bottle of whiskey and some chocolate to his house, and write: 'Big decisions are made on a full stomach.'"
"That's something they once did at my wife's company, and I think it could really work for us!"
That's what I told Ravit (real name saved in the system), the recruiter I was working with, as we were doing everything in our power to get Omer (real name saved in the system) to sign the contract.
She responded, "Look, Chen, this isn't really customary here, I think, but let me check."
We had already interviewed nearly 100 candidates across various stages over several months. This role-an experienced developer-was a tough one to fill. We had many "almosts," but that wasn't enough for us. We decided we weren't going to compromise.
Back to the conversation with Ravit...
She spoke with a few key stakeholders at the company. While the whiskey wasn't approved, her dedication and fight to successfully recruit this person led to success on a different front: it improved the contract in a way that gave Omer exactly what he needed to take the leap and sign!
We were absolutely thrilled. After an active, long-term effort, we managed to find the right candidate and didn't feel we compromised even in the slightest.
But that was just the end of the story.
Over those months, Ravit and I went through so much. We made sure to speak at least once a week: late-night calls with candidates we wanted (which I did directly, outside the formal interview process), direct calls with the team lead, the director, the Head of HR, and, when necessary, even the VP R&D to secure the approvals and resources that would help maximize the chances of hiring the right person.
This included a small bump in the salary, securing an extra budget to nearly double the referral bonus, and even preparing an internal company-wide campaign urging everyone why now was the best time to refer someone.
In my performance review with my manager, Arnon (real name saved in the system), he really praised me for the recruiting process. He mentioned that I received many compliments from the entire recruiting team on what I had done and how much relief I had provided them.
Honestly, I was surprised. I hadn't realized this was considered unusual. I don't think there's any other way. (Yes, this might sound like a humble brag, but genuinely, I didn't feel it was unique.)
In my view, when there is such massive competition with so many talented candidates and companies, an All-In approach is a must; it's the minimum requirement. You have to maintain your pace and stamina to keep going and not give up, but you must also consistently and quickly brainstorm out-of-the-box ideas and directions to succeed.
In a world full of opportunities and many similar offerings, you, as a manager, must figure out how to do something unique and noticeable-to give everything and more to bring in a candidate who can contribute to the success of your team and the company.
