Top Tips on Preventing a Counter Offer
Having worked with many clients and candidates for over two decades, the issue of a candidate accepting a counter offer can be a major frustration if not addressed early in a recruitment process.
When interviewing a candidate, it is important to question and probe why they are contemplating a career move, or if they have been headhunted (not actively looking) – what would make them consider a career move?
Don’t assume that although a candidate has applied for a particular job, they actually intend leaving their current employer. With a direct application it can sometimes be more tricky to delve into, however if the candidate has come via a recruitment firm they should have questioned the candidates motivations to move roles and company.
This MUST be ascertained very early in the discussions with a candidate. If not, you are likely to encounter problems further down the line.
Through the interview process, if this is a candidate you want to progress with and you feel there is interest their side, then you need to address what is driving their career change and counter offer early in the process.
As the demand for talent starts to ramp up, many interviewees concentrate on selling their company and the opportunity (as they should), without delving into a candidate’s real desire to change positions – Is the candidate simply “shopping” with no real intention of buying?
Occasionally a candidate with no real motivations or frustrations to move could encounter a tremendous opportunity to leverage their career – the opportunity is too good to turn down! However, generally if a candidate has no tangible reason to move, you’re skating on thin ice!
Key questions to ask a candidate at interview to help prevent a counter offer.
What is your main reason for considering a new career opportunity?
What are you looking for in a new role/company that you can’t achieve within your current organisation?
The answers to these two questions should give you a clear indication to a candidates real motivations.
If the interview is going well and you believe there is interest from the candidate, ask these additional questions:
What interests you most about this opportunity?
Is there anything that we have not discussed that could prevent you from accepting an offer?
You should get a gut feel if the candidate is genuinely interested from their answer to these questions.
Additional questions:
I appreciate we’re early in the process, however if this is the right opportunity for you and you go to resign how will your Boss/Manager respond? A candidate’s response to this question is very inciteful.
Some typical responses:
‘They’ll be disappointed but understand my reasons for leaving’
‘They’ll be shocked and try to keep me’
If the answer is the latter, ask them:
How will you handle a counteroffer? What often happens, a company gets caught off guard and in response will offer more money and try and change responsibilities (statistics show that very rarely do counter offers work out in the long term).
Emotionally can you see yourself leaving your current company? They may have concerns to move, however sometimes at the final stage, emotion gets in the way of logic and it’s easier to stay where they are.
Once again, a candidate’s response to these questions will give an indication if they’re likely to succumb to a counteroffer.
In conclusion, you can save a great deal of time, energy, and potential frustration by addressing a candidate’s real drive to change jobs and addressing the counter offer early in the interview process.
These questions have been tremendously helpful to me and my team over the years.
Please let me know your thoughts and if you have any additional tips.
Right International have a proven track record of identifying and sourcing the top talent across the claims and wider insurance market. If you are looking to add to your team now or in the near future, I would welcome the opportunity to help – please contact me.
All the best,
Gary Pike
Founder & MD
Right International Insurance Headhunters
