Comments on: What Great Recruiters Do to Prevent Counteroffers http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/ Recruiting intelligence. Recruiting community. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:27:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Deborah Jones http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1195 Deborah Jones Fri, 30 Sep 2005 03:14:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1195 Good advice on preventing counter offers, but I like to take it one step further and campaign for prevention of 'buyer's remorse.' No counter offer will be effective if the candidate has truly felt compelled to permanently sever the ties that bind. Extensive conversations and questioning throughout the screening process such as 'What will your company do when you give your notice?' How will your company react?' 'What could your company do to provide you with as good or better opportunity than the one you are exploring with me?' How do you perceive the differences between your company and the new one, in terms of what's best for you?' I could go on and on. The candidate must perceive, and correctly so, that the new opp is simply the next best thing for them professionally and that they are absolutely ready to take it. It is your job as a recruiter to hear them verbalize this to you in as tacit of terms as possible, long before the offer ever is presented. Never make an offer until you are sure of the answer. The more valued the person in his profession, the more true this is. Good advice on preventing counter offers, but I like to take it one step further and campaign for prevention of ‘buyer’s remorse.’ No counter offer will be effective if the candidate has truly felt compelled to permanently sever the ties that bind. Extensive conversations and questioning throughout the screening process such as ‘What will your company do when you give your notice?’ How will your company react?’ ‘What could your company do to provide you with as good or better opportunity than the one you are exploring with me?’ How do you perceive the differences between your company and the new one, in terms of what’s best for you?’ I could go on and on. The candidate must perceive, and correctly so, that the new opp is simply the next best thing for them professionally and that they are absolutely ready to take it. It is your job as a recruiter to hear them verbalize this to you in as tacit of terms as possible, long before the offer ever is presented. Never make an offer until you are sure of the answer. The more valued the person in his profession, the more true this is.

]]> By: David Donze http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1194 David Donze Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:26:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1194 The article brings up some good points regarding how to handle this situation. One tactic that I have used which I did not see mentioned here is to inform the candidate about the risks of accepting a counter offer. This comes in the same area as informing them as to what to expect in a counter offer situation. What I wonder, though, is whether it is counter-productive to do this- i.e. do they only see my warnings as protecting my own interest? Examples of things that I might regularly site are; the reasons for leaving your firm is the same when they make the counter offer as when you started looking, and that once you have let them know that you have accepted an offer from another firm you can't exactly expect to be first in line for promotions and raises in you accept the counter. These seem like common sense pieces of advice that people would hear and immediately accept, but are they? The article brings up some good points regarding how to handle this situation. One tactic that I have used which I did not see mentioned here is to inform the candidate about the risks of accepting a counter offer. This comes in the same area as informing them as to what to expect in a counter offer situation. What I wonder, though, is whether it is counter-productive to do this- i.e. do they only see my warnings as protecting my own interest?

Examples of things that I might regularly site are; the reasons for leaving your firm is the same when they make the counter offer as when you started looking, and that once you have let them know that you have accepted an offer from another firm you can’t exactly expect to be first in line for promotions and raises in you accept the counter. These seem like common sense pieces of advice that people would hear and immediately accept, but are they?

]]> By: Garrick Weaver http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1188 Garrick Weaver Thu, 29 Sep 2005 06:50:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2005/09/29/what-great-recruiters-do-to-prevent-counteroffers/#comment-1188 Howard; Well put- very clear and concise. To your point on the following: You are acting as an advisor and a trusted confidante by providing the guiding light that will ease their transition. TRUST is the key word. If you are talking to the candidate and dreaming of the Lexus are you truely being a confidante and impartial? True partners are those that are able to get beyond the 'fill' and help these people make the right decision. Sure I realize that we all think of the money, but it is those that can put the money aside for a moment, that are seen as true advisors in any industry. It is all about Kharma :-) Dont do things that feel right- do things that ARE right Garrick Howard;
Well put- very clear and concise.

To your point on the following:
You are acting as an advisor and a trusted confidante by providing the guiding light that will ease their transition.

TRUST is the key word. If you are talking to the candidate and dreaming of the Lexus are you truely being a confidante and impartial? True partners are those that are able to get beyond the ‘fill’ and help these people make the right decision. Sure I realize that we all think of the money, but it is those that can put the money aside for a moment, that are seen as true advisors in any industry. It is all about Kharma :-)
Dont do things that feel right- do things that ARE right
Garrick

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