Pre-Closing Candidates Before Making Offers - Stop Getting Blindsided By Rejections

Nothing stings worse than this: You've spent 6 weeks recruiting a perfect candidate. You got them through multiple interview rounds. Your hiring manager loves them. You negotiate approval for a strong offer. You extend the offer with confidence.

And they say no.

Offer rejection rates average 17-24% across industries, meaning 1 in 5-6 offers get declined. That's weeks of wasted recruiting effort, frustrated hiring managers, and starting over from scratch.

The fix? Pre-closing.

Pre-closing means getting a soft commitment from the candidate BEFORE you make an official offer. You discuss compensation, timeline, objections, and competing opportunities—and you confirm they'll accept before you put numbers on paper.

Done right, pre-closing increases offer acceptance rates from 60-70% to 85-95%. You stop getting blindsided by rejections and start closing candidates predictably.

Here's exactly how to do it.

What Pre-Closing Actually Is (And Why Most Recruiters Skip It)

Pre-closing is a sales technique adapted for recruiting. In sales, you don't send a proposal without first confirming the client will sign it. In recruiting, you shouldn't extend an offer without first confirming the candidate will accept it.

Most recruiters skip pre-closing because:

Pre-closing means:

When To Pre-Close (Hint: After Final Interview, Before Offer)

Timing is everything.

Pre-close too early (after first interview) and you'll seem presumptuous. Pre-close too late (after you've already drafted the offer) and you've wasted effort if they're not actually ready to say yes.

The sweet spot: Immediately after the final interview round, before you start drafting the offer letter.

This is when the candidate has full context about the role, has met the team, and can make an informed decision. It's also when you have leverage—they've invested significant time and you're showing serious intent.

The script: Schedule a 15-20 minute call specifically for this conversation. Don't try to squeeze it into another call. Make it clear this is an important discussion.

The Pre-Closing Conversation: Step-By-Step

Step 1: Reconfirm Interest And Excitement

You: "Thanks for making time for this call. Before we move forward, I want to make sure this role is still something you're excited about. How are you feeling after meeting the team?"

Listen carefully. If they're not enthusiastic, dig deeper. Lukewarm candidates rarely accept offers.

If they're excited: Move to step 2.

If they're hesitant: Surface the concern. "It sounds like you have some reservations. Can you tell me what's on your mind?" Address objections before proceeding.

Step 2: Align On Compensation Expectations

This is the most critical step. Most offer rejections come down to money.

You: "Let's talk compensation. I want to make sure we're aligned before we move to the offer stage. Based on our earlier conversations, you mentioned you're targeting [range]. Is that still accurate?"

If they confirm the range, make sure your offer will hit it. If your budget is below their expectations, you need to know NOW, not after you've extended an offer.

You: "Our offer will be in the range of [give a specific range, not a vague answer]. Does that work for you?"

Notice: You're not giving exact numbers yet, but you're giving them enough information to know if you're in the ballpark.

If they say yes: Move to step 3.

If they hesitate: Dig deeper. "It sounds like you were hoping for something higher. Help me understand your thinking." Maybe they have a competing offer. Maybe their expectations changed. Find out now.

Step 3: Surface Competing Opportunities

You: "Are you interviewing anywhere else right now? I want to understand your timeline and make sure we're not creating pressure or rushing you."

Most candidates appreciate this question because it shows you respect their process. And you need to know if you're in a bidding war.

If they say no: Great. Move to step 4.

If they say yes: Get details. "Can you share where you are in those processes? Are you expecting offers from them?" This tells you how fast you need to move and what you're competing against.

Step 4: Address Objections And Concerns

You: "Before we move to the offer stage, I want to make sure there's nothing holding you back. Is there anything about the role, the team, the company, or the compensation that gives you pause?"

Silence is your friend here. Let them think. Don't fill the silence.

If they raise concerns: Address them directly. Don't brush them off. "That's a valid concern. Here's how we handle that..." or "Let me connect you with [person] to discuss that further".

If they say "no concerns": Perfect. Move to step 5.

Step 5: Get The Soft Commit

This is the moment. You're about to ask the candidate to verbally commit to accepting an offer if you extend one that meets the parameters you've discussed.

You: "Based on everything we've discussed—the role, the team, the compensation range, and the timeline—if we extend an offer that meets those expectations, is this something you're ready to say yes to?"

Listen carefully to their answer. A genuine "yes" sounds confident and immediate. A hesitant "I think so" or "probably" means they're not ready.

If they say yes: "Great! I'll work with the hiring manager to finalize the offer and get it to you by [specific date]. Can I assume you'll review it within 24-48 hours and we can get this wrapped up?"

If they hesitate: Go back to objections. Something is still unresolved. "It sounds like you're not quite ready to commit. What's holding you back?" Keep digging until you find the real issue.

Red Flags That Mean They're Going To Reject Your Offer

Even with pre-closing, some candidates will string you along. Watch for these warning signs:

Vague answers about other opportunities: If they won't tell you where else they're interviewing or dodge timeline questions, they're likely negotiating with you as a backup option.

Compensation expectations that keep rising: If their salary target was $120K two weeks ago and it's suddenly $145K now, someone else offered them more and they're fishing for you to match.

Stalling on committing: If you've done a thorough pre-close and they still won't commit—"I need to think about it," "I want to talk to my spouse," "Can I get back to you?"—they're not ready. Don't extend an offer yet.

Enthusiasm drops suddenly: If they were excited after interviews but seem lukewarm during the pre-close call, something changed. Surface it before you waste time drafting an offer.

What To Do If Pre-Closing Reveals They're Not Ready

Sometimes pre-closing reveals that the candidate isn't ready to commit. That's actually good—you found out before extending an offer.

Your options:

Option 1: Address the objection and try again. If their concern is resolvable (they want to meet one more team member, they need clarity on career path, etc.), handle it and re-close.

Option 2: Give them space and a deadline. "It sounds like you need more time to think. I completely understand. Can we reconnect on [specific date] to see where you're at?" This gives them time without letting the process drag indefinitely.

Option 3: Move on. If they're clearly not interested or are using you as leverage for another offer, thank them for their time and focus on other candidates. Don't chase people who aren't excited about your opportunity.

Pre-Closing Scripts For Common Scenarios

Candidate has a competing offer: "I appreciate you being upfront about the other opportunity. Can you help me understand what's most important to you in making this decision? Is it compensation, role responsibilities, company culture, or something else?"

This surfaces what they actually care about so you can position your offer accordingly.

Candidate is worried about company stability: "That's a fair concern. Let me connect you with [CFO/senior leader] who can speak to our financial position and growth trajectory. Would that help?"

Don't dodge tough questions. Addressing them head-on builds trust.

Candidate wants more money than you can offer: "I understand you're targeting $X, and our range for this role is $Y. That's a gap we likely can't close. Before we move forward, I want to make sure you're comfortable with that reality. Are you?"

Better to walk away now than extend a lowball offer that insults them.

The Bottom Line

Pre-closing isn't manipulation—it's professional communication that respects everyone's time. You're confirming mutual interest, aligning expectations, and surfacing deal-breakers BEFORE formalizing an offer.

Pre-close every candidate after final interviews:

Reconfirm interest and excitement
Align on compensation expectations
Surface competing opportunities
Address objections and concerns
Get a verbal commit

Do this and your offer acceptance rate will skyrocket. You'll stop getting blindsided by rejections. And you'll close the right candidates faster.

If you're not pre-closing candidates, you're basically throwing offers at the wall and hoping they stick. Stop hoping. Start pre-closing.

Sources:

The Daily Hire