Recruiting the Best Candidates: 5 Ways to Avoid Counter Offers
In today’s market, according to our recent Recruitment Pulse Survey candidates are more cautious about changing roles. So a counter offer extended by their current employer may be even more likely to encourage them to stay in the current climate.
There are, however, strategies you can adopt throughout the recruitment process to help minimise the chances of your candidate accepting a counter offer.
Talk about it
Early on in the recruitment process prepare your candidate for the possibility that their current employer may make a counter offer when they resign. Preparing them for this eventuality means they begin thinking about it from the very beginning and it is not a surprise further down the line.
Talking about counter offers in the early stages of the recruitment process can help you gauge how susceptible your candidate will be to an offer and will help you decide how to approach it if and when it happens.
A human, not a candidate
Part of being a good recruiter is understanding the candidate’s motivations for moving jobs from the very start of the recruitment process, rather than considering them as your next placement that will help you meet your targets.
Take the time to understand them, their emotional drivers, their life situation, as well as their ambitions. This way at offer stage you will have a stronger chance of being able to discuss any counter offer in light of their career aspirations.
Never assume anything
While you will have a good understanding of your candidates’ reasons for considering a career move, assuming you know everything about them will only give you a false sense of security. Bear in mind that sometimes there are personal situations at play that your candidate might not want to discuss with you, but could lead to them taking a counter offer and staying put.
Keep it open
Open and honest communication is crucial if you want to prevent your candidates from accepting a counter offer. Rather than ignoring the possibility of a counter offer, discuss it with your candidate as early in the process as possible. Talking about it before it happens can help candidates be more open and help you be more prepared. You will then be armed with their rationale to help them navigate through the offer stage.
Don’t take it personally
If your candidate is considering taking a counter offer, this decision isn’t about you, it’s about what is best for them. Discuss their options in an objective way to help their decision-making process.
A job move is a major life change and people can get cold feet Be sure to arrange some pre-employment onboarding meetings to minimise the risk of them pulling out ahead of the start date.
Whatever size your business is or aspires to be, our cloud software covers the entire recruitment lifecycle, available as integrated or standalone solutions. Get in touch with us to learn how our software can help your business be more profitable.
