#TurndownTuesday - Isn't the Grass Always Greener?

As the CEO of Syfter, a nationwide technology staffing firm, and as someone who has partnered with tens of thousands of hiring managers and made thousands of placements in the past decade, I've seen it all. In this Turndown Tuesday series, I'm going to tell you why your best candidates are rejecting your offers - and what you can do to prevent it.

On today’s #TurndownTuesday, I’m going to dive into what is perhaps the most common reason that hiring managers complain their candidates are turning down offers and disappearing. It’s none other than the dreaded counteroffer...

TURNDOWN #4: They Received a Counteroffer from Their Current Company. 

You should always assume your candidate is going to get a counteroffer, and you or the recruiter should be preparing them for that. Keep in mind once the offer is on paper they can use it as leverage to get more from their current company. 

Christian Sontag, the Client Delivery Manager at Syfter, suggests that the recruiter or HR ask these questions to the candidate before the final interview to try to uncover their biggest pain point before the final interview:

• “Are there any other jobs you’re seriously considering?”
• “What really makes you want to leave your current job?” 
• “If you could get more money and have everything else stay the same at your current job, would you still be looking to leave?”

THINK: When the candidate is answering, listen to what they say and how they say it. Are they thinking their replies through and answering honestly, or are they telling you what you want to hear? 

How to prepare for a counteroffer- get ahead of it: 

• Have a list of reasons the candidate is looking to leave- if they’re offered more money, it will sound great in the moment, but it won’t solve the long commute they’re trying to escape. 
• Prepare the candidate ahead of time to receive a counteroffer- if they see it as an expected maneuver by their employer to try to keep them from leaving, they may be less inclined to accept it. 
• Have a backup candidate- there’s never a guarantee, and you never want to be left unawares. Make sure that you interview multiple people regardless of what you feel about any of them. During the interview process, identify the candidate as someone that you would hire or not hire, and then rank them. Having a backup or two ready just in case your number one decides to stay where they are is a solid plan, not to mention you never know what your headcount will look like in the future - good talent is hard to find. 

To read more about the reasons your candidates are turning down your offers, stay tuned for next week's #TurndownTuesday. Can't wait? Visit our website & get the full scoop: https://www.syfter.com/post/top-5-reasons-candidates-reject-offers-and-what-you-can-do-to-prevent-it