How to Make a Job Offer to a Tradesperson
You have advertised the job, screened the applications, interviewed the strongest candidates and completed the checks you need. You have found the electrician, plumber, fitter, carpenter, mechanic or other tradesperson you want to hire.
Now you need to turn them into an employee.
Making a job offer can seem like the easy part of recruitment, but good candidates can still be lost at this stage. A slow approval process, unclear pay package or poorly communicated offer can give somebody enough reason to accept another opportunity or stay with their current employer.
A strong job offer should not contain major surprises. By the time you reach this point, the candidate should already understand the role, work, location, hours or roster and the approximate pay. The offer confirms those details and gives them a clear opportunity to say yes.
For trade employers, the process does not need to be overly complicated. Know what you are offering, move promptly once you have made the decision and communicate the terms clearly.
Prepare the Offer Before You Call
Do not call your preferred candidate and improvise the employment offer halfway through the conversation.
Confirm the details internally first.
Know the position you are offering, the pay, employment type, ordinary hours or roster, proposed start date and any significant conditions or benefits attached to the role. If the package includes a vehicle, allowances, overtime arrangements or other important components, make sure you understand exactly how they work.
You should also know what flexibility you have if the candidate wants to negotiate.
Perhaps you are authorised to offer between $45 and $50 an hour depending on experience. Maybe the vehicle arrangement is fixed but there is some flexibility around the start date. Knowing those boundaries makes the conversation much easier.
Confirm who has authority to approve the final offer as well.
There is little point telling a candidate you would like to hire them and then spending another four days waiting for someone to approve the rate.
Much of the delay at offer stage can be prevented before recruitment even begins. Agreeing on the pay range and approval process early allows the business to move when the right person appears.
Call the Candidate First
Once you have decided to offer the job, a phone call is often a good way to start the conversation.
It allows you to tell the candidate directly that you would like them to join the business and immediately discuss the important details.
Keep the conversation straightforward.
Explain that you would like to offer them the position. Confirm the role, pay, employment type, hours or roster and intended start date. Mention any major benefits that form part of the package.
Then give them an opportunity to respond.
Some candidates will accept immediately. Others will want time to think about it, discuss it with their partner or review the written details.
That is normal.
A tradesperson leaving an existing employer may be making a significant decision. They could be giving up familiarity, accrued benefits, a known crew and a predictable routine.
Do not interpret a request for reasonable thinking time as a lack of interest.
The purpose of the call is to communicate the offer clearly, answer immediate questions and establish what happens next.
Put the Important Details in Writing
A verbal conversation is useful, but important employment terms should also be clearly documented.
The candidate should not have to remember exactly what was said during a ten-minute phone call.
Provide the appropriate written employment documentation setting out the terms of the position. What documentation is required and what information it needs to contain will depend on the employment arrangement and applicable Australian workplace obligations.
At a practical level, the candidate should be able to clearly understand what position they are being offered, what they will be paid, their employment type, ordinary working arrangements and proposed commencement.
Include other important conditions that form part of the offer where relevant.
If the candidate has been promised a company vehicle, explain the applicable arrangement rather than leaving it as a vague verbal benefit. If there is a particular roster, make sure it is accurately communicated. If allowances apply, explain them appropriately.
Clarity protects the relationship before the employee has even started.
It also reduces the risk of somebody accepting one version of the job in their head and arriving to discover something different.
Make the Pay Package Easy to Understand
Trade remuneration can involve more than one number.
There may be an ordinary hourly rate, overtime, penalties, allowances, bonuses or other components depending on the position and applicable employment arrangements.
Do not make candidates reverse-engineer the offer.
If you are offering an hourly rate, state it clearly. If you are offering a salary, explain the salary clearly and make sure the employment arrangement is appropriately structured.
Be careful about presenting potential overtime as guaranteed earnings when it is not.
A candidate might hear "$130,000 package" and assume that is their predictable income, only to discover the figure depends on substantial overtime that may not always be available.
Explain what is fixed and what is variable.
The same applies to benefits.
A company vehicle could mean a take-home vehicle with personal use, a vehicle used only during work or access to a shared fleet. Those are very different benefits.
Specificity prevents misunderstandings.
If a candidate cannot easily explain the offer to their partner that evening, it may not be clear enough.
Don't Introduce Major Surprises at Offer Stage
The final offer should largely confirm what the candidate has already been told.
It should not be the first time they discover the real pay.
It should not suddenly reveal a different roster.
It should not introduce extensive travel that was never mentioned in the advertisement or interviews.
Surprises create doubt.
Even when the candidate would have accepted the condition if it had been communicated earlier, discovering it at the last moment can damage trust.
Important employment conditions should be discussed throughout recruitment.
The advertisement establishes the fundamentals. The screening conversation confirms alignment. The interview provides more detail. The offer formalises what both sides have been discussing.
This progression makes accepting much easier because the candidate is not making a completely new decision when the offer arrives.
They are confirming a decision they have gradually become comfortable making.
Give Them a Genuine Reason to Accept
A job offer is not only an administrative step.
You are still recruiting.
When you speak with the candidate, remind them why you think the opportunity suits them.
Perhaps their industrial maintenance background is exactly what the business needs. Maybe there is a clear path towards leading a crew. The role might offer more local work than their current position or give them exposure to equipment they want to work on.
Keep it genuine.
You do not need to deliver a motivational speech or aggressively sell the company.
A simple explanation of why you want to hire that particular person can make the offer feel more personal.
This is especially relevant when recruiting experienced tradies who may have several options.
They want to know what the business offers, but they may also want to feel that the employer actually wants them rather than simply needing another set of hands.
The strongest offer combines clear employment terms with a credible reason the candidate might enjoy working for the business.
Be Ready for Negotiation
Some candidates will negotiate.
That does not automatically mean the offer is going badly.
A tradesperson might ask for a higher hourly rate, different start date, vehicle arrangement or another condition that matters to them.
Listen to what they are actually asking for.
If they want another $2 an hour, decide whether the candidate's experience and the difficulty of replacing them justify it. If you cannot increase the rate, there may be other parts of the offer that provide value.
Do not promise something you cannot deliver simply to secure the acceptance.
If the company vehicle cannot be taken home, say so. If overtime varies and cannot be guaranteed, be clear about that.
You should also avoid turning every negotiation into a battle.
You have already invested time advertising, screening and interviewing. If a small and commercially reasonable adjustment secures an excellent candidate, consider the complete cost and value of the decision.
At the same time, know your limits.
A good negotiation ends with both sides understanding what has been agreed, not one side reluctantly accepting terms the business cannot sustain.
Give Candidates Reasonable Time to Decide
Some offers are accepted immediately.
Others need consideration.
If the candidate is currently employed, they may want to discuss the decision with their family, calculate the financial difference or think about the commute and working hours.
Give them a reasonable timeframe.
That does not mean leaving the offer open indefinitely.
Explain when you would like an answer and make sure the candidate knows how to contact you with questions.
The appropriate timeframe will depend on the circumstances. An urgent casual position may move differently from a permanent role requiring someone to leave an employer they have worked for over many years.
Avoid artificial pressure unless there is a genuine reason for urgency.
Telling a candidate they have two hours to decide can create unnecessary distrust.
At the same time, you are running a business and may have other candidates waiting.
A clear, reasonable deadline gives both sides certainty.
Handle Counteroffers From Their Current Employer
A candidate accepts your offer, resigns and their current employer suddenly offers them more money to stay.
It happens.
You cannot completely prevent counteroffers, but you can discuss the possibility before it becomes a surprise.
If the candidate is currently employed, ask what is motivating them to leave.
If their only reason is pay, a substantial counteroffer may be persuasive.
If they are leaving because of management, travel, roster, lack of progression or the type of work, additional money may not solve those problems.
You do not need to criticise their current employer or pressure them.
Help them compare the complete opportunities.
Your role might provide a shorter commute, better projects, more predictable hours or a stronger career path even if their employer suddenly matches the hourly rate.
If the candidate decides to stay, remain professional.
Trade industries can be small, and circumstances change.
Someone who turns down your job today could become an excellent candidate in the future.
Keep Communicating After They Accept
An accepted offer does not mean recruitment is finished.
There can be a gap of several weeks between acceptance and the employee's first day, particularly if they need to give notice.
Do not disappear during that period.
Confirm that required paperwork has been completed and provide information about their first day. Tell them where to go, what time to arrive, who they should ask for and anything they need to bring.
If there are uniforms, equipment, site access or other practical arrangements to organise, start preparing them.
You can also check in periodically if there is a longer notice period.
This does not need to become constant messaging.
The objective is to maintain the relationship and demonstrate that the business is organised and expecting them.
A candidate who accepts your offer may still experience doubts, receive another opportunity or be approached with a counteroffer.
Good communication between acceptance and commencement reduces uncertainty and creates a smoother transition into the business.
Be Professional When the Candidate Says No
Not every offer will be accepted.
Try to understand why without making the conversation uncomfortable.
Perhaps another employer offered more. Maybe the candidate decided the commute was too long. They may have received a promotion or decided they do not want to leave their current employer after all.
Where appropriate, ask for feedback.
That information can improve future recruitment.
If several candidates reject offers because of pay, your rates may need reviewing. If people consistently decline after considering the roster, the roster may be a competitive disadvantage.
Sometimes there is nothing you reasonably need to change.
Either way, finish professionally.
Thank the candidate for their time and leave the relationship in good condition.
The trade labour market moves constantly. The candidate who rejects your offer could be interested in another vacancy six months later.
There is little benefit in burning that connection because they made a different decision.
Where Tradie Jobs Fits In
Tradie Jobs can help Australian employers attract candidates for trade and blue-collar vacancies, but a successful recruitment campaign does not finish when the right application arrives.
The employer still needs to convert that candidate into a hire.
Start preparing for the offer before the job advertisement goes live. Agree on the pay range, understand the benefits and decide who has approval authority.
Then keep the recruitment process moving.
When you find the right electrician, plumber, fitter, mechanic, carpenter or other tradesperson, do not leave them waiting unnecessarily while the business works out what to offer.
Make the offer clearly, provide the appropriate written documentation and give the candidate an opportunity to ask questions.
If they accept, stay in contact until their first day.
Hiring tradies? Post your vacancy on Tradie Jobs, then make sure your internal recruitment process is ready to move when the right candidate applies.
Attracting good applicants takes effort.
Make sure your offer process gives you the best chance of actually hiring them.
Final Thoughts
Making a job offer to a tradesperson should be one of the simplest stages of recruitment because most of the important conversations should already have happened.
The candidate should understand the job.
They should know the work, location, hours or roster and have a realistic understanding of the pay.
You should know why you want to hire them and exactly what the business is prepared to offer.
Once you have made the decision, move promptly.
Call the candidate, explain the offer and provide the important details in writing through the appropriate employment documentation.
Be clear about what is fixed and what is variable. Be prepared for reasonable negotiation and give the candidate enough time to make an informed decision.
If they accept, keep communicating until they start.
A good offer does not need clever sales tactics.
It needs clarity, speed and an employment opportunity that is genuinely worth accepting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you make a job offer by phone or email?
A phone call can be a good way to communicate the offer personally and discuss the main details, followed by appropriate written employment documentation.
How quickly should you make an offer after the final interview?
Once you have made the hiring decision and completed the necessary process, avoid unnecessary delays. Strong candidates may be considering other opportunities.
What should be included in a job offer to a tradie?
The candidate should clearly understand the position, pay, employment type, working arrangements, proposed start date and other significant terms or benefits relevant to the role.
Should I tell the candidate the pay over the phone?
Yes. The candidate should understand what you are offering rather than receiving written documentation containing a number they have never discussed with you.
Should a job offer be in writing?
Important employment terms should be appropriately documented in writing so both the employer and employee can clearly understand the arrangement.
Can a candidate negotiate after receiving an offer?
Yes. Candidates may ask to discuss pay, start dates or other conditions before accepting.
Should I negotiate with a tradesperson?
Consider reasonable requests in the context of the candidate's experience, market conditions, your approved budget and the value of filling the position.
How long should you give a candidate to accept a job offer?
There is no single timeframe for every position. Give the candidate a reasonable opportunity to consider the offer while also providing a clear deadline where your recruitment process requires one.
What if the candidate asks for more money?
Consider whether the request is commercially reasonable and whether you have flexibility. If you cannot increase the rate, communicate your position clearly rather than promising something the business cannot provide.
What if their current employer makes a counteroffer?
Allow the candidate to make their own decision. Focus on the complete opportunity your business provides rather than trying to pressure them or criticise their current employer.
Should I stop recruiting as soon as someone accepts?
Be careful about closing every other conversation before the employment arrangements are appropriately confirmed. Keep your recruitment process organised until the hire is secure.
What should I do after the candidate accepts?
Complete the required employment documentation and onboarding preparations, provide first-day information and maintain appropriate communication before they commence.
Can a candidate change their mind after accepting?
Circumstances can change before commencement, which is another reason to maintain communication and keep the pre-start process organised.
What if a candidate rejects my offer?
Ask for feedback where appropriate, remain professional and use any recurring feedback to improve future recruitment.
Should the final offer be different from the job advertisement?
The final details may reflect the successful candidate's experience or negotiations, but there should not be major unexpected differences in the fundamental nature of the job.
What makes a good trade job offer?
A good offer is competitive, clear and consistent with what was discussed during recruitment. It should be delivered promptly and make the important employment terms easy for the candidate to understand.