How to Navigate the Counter Offer | Guidance for Employers for 2024!

How to Navigate the Counter Offer

The new year brings with it lots of recruitment, which is such a positive task for a line manager but it can be stopped in its tracks when a COUNTER OFFER comes into play.

Picture the scene, you have met the perfect candidate, sent out the offer, they have accepted and you are already planning their first day when a call comes in…..their current company has offered them more money to stay!! This sends you into panic mode as you have been working on recruiting this role for weeks, most probably months!

Fear not. With a confident conversation with the candidate, you can get them back on track, continuing working out their notice period.

Here is what to do:

  1. Ask them for a call. This is much better than an email which can usually be mis-interpreted or easily ignored.
  2. Explain your disappointment, show your emotions. They want to work for an employer who cares and shows the have an empathetic and ‘human’ side.
  3. Ask what their main motivator was for their job search…if their current company hasn’t offered them progression, benefits, pay increases, bonuses or something else that was expected, then remind them what they are to gain from working with you.
  4. Company culture and hybrid working is a main drive for many job seekers, so talk about this, what you do to embrace this in your office.. (& if you don’t, speak to Kingswood HR for a plan!)
  5. Lastly, ask them how they felt after the interview and then once they received your offer. To remind them of that thrill and excitement can sometimes bring them back to why they accepted in the first place.
  6. Ask for a decision within 24 hours and give them clear instructions of how to contact you.

Now this can all be avoided if you use an agency….well Kingswood Group – we can take this headache away from you!

In my experience, 70% of candidates who remain with their current employer, will be looking within the year as the reason they left hasn’t changed at all!

If you want to discuss this further, need general HR or Recruitment advice, then contact me or the team today.

Happy recruiting!!

Debbie Carey

Debbie Carey
Senior Office Recruitment Manager

With over 16 years of experience in recruitment, Debbie transitioned from a decade-long career in the service industry, managing restaurants and hotels, to excelling in recruitment roles. Her expertise lies in HR, Office Support, Marketing, and Accountancy recruitment, primarily in Essex and London.

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