As the economy improves and the job market tightens, recruiters are hearing some disturbing words from the mouths of candidates. The phrases, "No thank you" and "Not a good fit" are meeting job offers with increasing frequency. Though hiring dynamics still favor companies, today's candidates have more choices than they did even six months ago. As jobs become more plentiful, candidates are no longer hesitant to pass up offers. How can you prevent rejections and ensure more acceptances? Simple. Use a capture strategy to make sure your job is also the candidate's ideal job.

A capture strategy is your best defense against rejection. The term capture strategy describes your plan of attack in taking a candidate through the sourcing and hiring process all the way to offer and acceptance. In recruiting, capture strategies go beyond matching candidates on skills and capabilities. An effective capture strategy also includes personal preferences. What are the candidate's goals? What are their motivations for seeking employment? What work environment is ideal? The more you can learn about the candidate, the more successful you will be in matching the candidate with the right position and ensuring they accept the offer.

Your capture strategy should commence the moment you meet a candidate; long before an offer is made. Think of the hiring process as a series of gates or check points. Before you capture a candidate, you must "close" them as you work through the various stages of the hiring process. Sourcing a candidate usually starts with closing on skills, however, the qualification process shouldn't stop there. Cultural fit, professional goals, work-life issues, salary, etc. should also be considered. Only after you've closed the candidate on a range of dimensions should you consider recommending the candidate for an interview.

Capture strategies should also extend to the hiring group. Interviewers should be encouraged to be on their best behavior. Candidates make early judgments about their ability to work with a group based on first impressions made in interviews. No one wins, least of all the recruiter, when the candidate is alienated in the hiring process. The hours you invested in sourcing and closing can evaporate with brusque or tactless treatment. Poorly treated candidates look forward to the opportunity to turn an offer down.

Beyond interviewing, the hiring group should also be involved in the offer process. Once the team decides to make an offer, they should also give input into how to package the offer. Are their responsibilities or perqs that would be desirable to the candidate -- things uncovered in the interview process -- that can be brought to the table now? Perhaps the interview revealed the candidate's preference to do more analytical work than the current job description outlines. Can the group flex to give the potential hire more responsibilities in that area? Personalizing the offer in the last mile is especially effective when trying to woo a passive candidate.

At the end of the day, recruiters, like all professionals, are judged on performance. Recruiters add value to organizations based on the quantity of high-quality candidates they successfully place. By using capture strategies to refine fit, you can increase the number of placements you deliver. Matching a candidate on skills alone is not enough in today's economy. A competitive job market mean candidates are less willing to be flexible with their goals and aspirations. This flexibility, instead, must come from the hiring organization. To make successful offers, recruiters need to work harder to make an offer desirable from the candidate's perspective.

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