You're faced with a candidate considering counteroffers. How will you steer negotiations in your favor?

In the current job market, having multiple offers is a great problem to have! So I usually start by giving them a big congrats! I believe the most important aspect is to understand what motivates them. Is it money, growth, work-life balance, or something else? Knowing this helps me position how our opportunity aligns with their personal goals. I’m also very careful to not oversell the role. It’s important to set realistic expectations about the benefits, growth and what the job will involve. The last thing you want is for them to feel misled once they’re on board, which could lead to bigger issues down the road.

When negotiating with a candidate who is considering counteroffers, focus on understanding their underlying needs and motives. Engage in a genuine conversation to discover what is truly important to them, whether it is career advancement, work-life balance, or business culture. Tailor your offer to these aims, emphasising how your organisation is particularly aligned with their long-term ambitions, making it a more enticing option than counteroffers.

Emphasize the aspects of your offer that the counteroffer might not match, such as career growth, company culture, flexibility, or future opportunities. Paint a picture of how the role aligns with their career goals and aspirations, showing them the long-term benefits of joining your company.

Highlight Long-Term Opportunities: Emphasize the long-term growth opportunities your company offers, such as career advancement, learning and development programs, and potential for leadership roles. Compare this with the potential short-term gain of accepting a counteroffer. Company Culture and Values: Reinforce the alignment between the candidate’s values and your company’s culture. Discuss how your organization supports its employees, promotes work-life balance, and fosters a positive work environment. Unique Selling Points: Focus on what makes your offer unique—whether it’s innovative projects, exposure to new technologies, a supportive team, or your company’s mission. Show how these elements align with the candidate’s career goals.

Start by reinforcing the unique value and opportunities your company offers, such as growth potential, culture, and long-term career advancement. Address the candidate's concerns and motivations to ensure alignment with their goals. Emphasize the stability and benefits of joining your team. Stay flexible but firm, offering a compelling package that highlights non-monetary perks. By building a strong rapport and understanding their priorities, you can guide the candidate to see the long-term benefits of accepting your offer over a counteroffer.

It's always advisable to consult your HR team/HRBP and Line Manager before proceeding with the value you intend to offer. Once you understand what motivates the candidate for the role, cross-check within your business to determine what you can offer and how success will look for them if they perform at their best according to company standards. A candidate's value may be influenced by various factors such as salary, meaningful work, culture, benefits, and loyalty. If the candidate shares where counteroffers are coming from, you can research how you excel in areas that matter to them. Be authentic and honest, and if the candidate indeed has a better offer, it's important to acknowledge that to your internal stakeholders.

To steer negotiations in your favor, emphasize the unique benefits and growth opportunities your offer provides. Highlight the alignment between the candidate's career goals and your company’s vision. Address any concerns they might have, and remind them why they were interested in your role initially. Creating a personal connection and showing genuine interest in their long-term success can make your offer more compelling than a counteroffer.

Act as a sparring partner and not a sales-man. If you want to maximize your chances of not only the candidate signing but also staying: Stay off of the road of 'false promises' and 'future potential'. Talk with them earnestly and compare the offers together. See if there is wiggle room and assess what is most important to the candidate. A offer doesn't only contain financial compensation but also: Training budgets / opportunities, work-life flexibility, etc. Compare everything together and make sure the candidate has a clear view. Then give them a little time to decide. In the end the candidate won't always pick your offer and that's fine. It's not a personal victory or loss so don't take it personal!

Many times candidates are looking for support to help make the right decision. Being pushy or aggressive with deadlines can lead to discomfort and alienation. I encourage recruiters to be patient, provide an open door, and ask candidates to take time to think over their options, then contact me before making a final decision

Review and Enhance Your Offer to Ensure your offer is competitive in terms of salary, benefits, and other perks. If possible, make adjustments to address the candidate’s concerns, to Include Non-Monetary Benefits and Highlight additional benefits such as flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, or unique company perks.

Reaffirm Your Enthusiasm Personalize the Offer: Show genuine enthusiasm for the candidate joining your team. Discuss how their skills and experiences align perfectly with your needs and how excited you are about the impact they will make. Future Collaboration: Talk about how you see them fitting into the team and the specific projects or initiatives they will lead or contribute to. This can help them visualize their future with your company.

If someone has been in a role for a while they may be excited but nervous to make a move as it means the comfort zone changes. Offer support - whether it be through the offer, resignation, review or acceptance / decline process. This could be running through the formal offer and following up on questions, providing updates on the onboarding process, going through the counteroffer or even just following up after the resignation meeting. I believe in partnering with my candidates and clients - it has to be the right match and ensuring they know I am invested in them, not just the process means we build trust.

The key to overcoming counter offers is to understand the candidates true motivations and desires from the very beginning of a hiring process. Build trust and credibility by practicing active listening to better understand why a candidate might be interested in your opportunity and what factors are most important to them in their next role. It's not about manipulation, its about being a real person and having empathy for the candidate who is making a very big life decision. Be flexible and allow them time to consider the total package you are offering; present the offer in a way that addresses their top motivations and convey the total value this opportunity will present to them not only in terms of comp but career growth.

As a recruiter, being flexible means being open to adjusting aspects of the offer to address the candidate’s needs. It could include negotiating salary, enhancing benefits, offering flexible work arrangements, or discussing career growth opportunities. Flexibility demonstrates your commitment to finding a solution that works for both the candidate and the organization.

Discuss Risks of Accepting a Counteroffer Gently explain the potential downsides of accepting a counteroffer, such as the impact on career growth or job satisfaction. Focus on how staying in their current role may not address underlying issues, and to be Professional and Empathetic Approach this conversation with empathy and professionalism, acknowledging that accepting a counteroffer is a valid consideration but stressing the unique advantages of your offer.

?? Show Flexibility: Be willing to negotiate on aspects like work schedule, start date, or benefits. ?? Demonstrate Value: Your adaptability shows that you value the candidate and can be a key factor in choosing your offer.

Being empathetic about the pressure candidates feel when facing multiple offers is really important. It is in fact a really hard thing to navigate! Showing flexibility where you can is a great way to signal to them what their relationship might be like longer term as an employee of the company.

A pro-active recruiter might win some brownie points in closing a "P0" candidate faster. Of course, just being pro-active is not enough and the offer itself needs to be more attractive as well. Apart from monetary benefits you can consider pitching the other benefits as well - - Other bonuses like joining, relocation, retention, etc on top of fixed pay. - ESOPs/Stocks - Growth trajectory of the candidate - Culture and peers - Other perks like leaves, reimbursements, goodies, etc.

Its important to respond quickly to any queries the candidates may have like understanding the role or long term growth plan , understanding the project and technologies they get to learn. Quick responses shows how keen you are to onboard the person and how they are priority.

? Prioritize Speed: Respond quickly to candidate concerns and questions to show keen interest. ?? Maintain Communication: Prompt replies convey seriousness and can give you an edge over competitors.

As the saying goes - time kills all deals. If you're aware a candidate has other offers, you need to be extremely available, responsive, and forthcoming with relevant info they might need + be a good listener about what their thoughts / feelings are about the situation.

Maintain Open Communication to Keep the lines of communication open and transparent throughout the process to build trust and rapport with the candidate and be responsive to address any additional questions or concerns the candidate may have promptly to maintain their interest and engagement.

Sometimes, a personal touch can make a difference. Share why you believe they are the perfect fit for the role and how you see them contributing to the team’s success. If they've already met or interacted with potential future colleagues, remind them of the positive impressions and rapport built during the process.

You cannot drive your own agenda in this process. This is all about assisting the candidate through a difficult thought process (there is a saying the devil you know than the one you don't) Most often than not it feels safer to stay at their current company than for them to resign - especially if the RFL (Wound) is solved or the money is life changing. You as a recruiter should have been building a relationship before you even get to this stage. If you have no rapport you have no hope. If you drive your own agenda you will be ignored, iced out and lied to as you are not thinking about the candidates needs. Try understand the thought process, reconnect them with their initial RFL and try figure out what has changed.

Building relationships in recruitment means adding value and insight. Candidates have many options in the job market but money can make people lose sight of the end goal. Help them understand why your company/industry/career path is optimal, not just another option. As their recruiter make sure they see the big picture not just the dollar signs

At the end of the day, we are each unique individuals with unique individual needs. You may have the greatest offer in the world but if it isn't tailored to the specific needs and goals of your candidate, you are vulnerable to rejection. Ask big questions. Listen intently. Practice empathy. When you negotiate, put yourself in the position of the candidate and speak to their fears and goals. It will be much easier for them to say yes to someone they trust to have their best interest at heart, not just an interest in closing the deal.

One of the most important things in recruiting is building personal relationships - it's what recruiters "live" by. Everyone wants to be in an environment where they feel valued and where their wishes are taken seriously. The application process should be designed in the same way and efforts should be made to really understand the candidate (their wishes, motivation, etc.). Care should therefore be taken during the process to establish a personal relationship in order to create a certain basis of trust so that the candidate decides in favor of the offer and against the counteroffer.