One of the problems that organizations often encounter when trying to attract candidates who are in high demand is that these candidates are unwilling to leave behind the friendships they've made at their current place of employment. According to executive recruiting expert Dr. John Sullivan, organizations might want to consider a "buddy hire" arrangement, where they agree to hire both the original candidate and a qualified colleague of theirs at the same time to help overcome this obstacle and sweeten the deal.
According to Dr. Sullivan, studies have found that one of the most effective ways to convince a candidate to change his or her "maybe" to a "yes" is to offer the option of working with a good friend or someone he or she admires. Apple and Google have both taken advantage of this information in their hiring strategies, incorporating a description of the team that candidates would be working with into the interview process.
A buddy hire offer can also bring benefits to your company. If you are truly serious about hiring a candidate and trust his or her judgment of character and work effectiveness, allowing him or her to choose a colleague can mean adding another great team member without having to go through the recruiting process again.
Of course, companies should employ this tactic wisely, using it only to convince exceptional talent to fill crucial, high-level roles. You also don't have to abdicate your right to vet and approve or reject your candidate's "buddy" according to the standards of your organization. However, as Dr. Sullivan writes, you won't usually have to worry about a buddy hire not meeting your standards "because top talent simply don't select buddy hires who aren't also well qualified."
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