How to Drastically Reduce Offer Turndowns and Counter-offers

Reasons for Counter-offers and Offer Turndowns

Counter-offers:

• Employers are caught off guard and don’t want to lose a good employee. They know the “hot buttons” of their employee.
• Employers don’t appreciate the value of their employees until they threaten to leave.
• The employer attempted to find a replacement, but was NOT successful.
• The Employer HIRED a replacement who is not working out.
• Employers are back in “control” when they extend a counter-offer.

Offer Turndowns:

• Candidates are receiving multiple offers.
• Companies are offering higher salaries, signing bonuses and other perks to attract top talent.
• Candidates know they are in the “Driver’s Seat.”
• Often we don’t know the REAL REASON candidates will go through the “trauma of a change.”
• Candidate interviews are often conducted with a specific job opportunity in mind.
• There are those candidates who use a job offer to go back and obtain a counter-offer from their current employer.
  Counter-offer Solutions

Counter-offer Solution #1: When you are interviewing a candidate and want to uncover their real reason for talking to you… ask them the following question: “If you were your boss, give me five changes you would make.” This question can uncover the real reason they are contemplating a career move. If the only changes they list are “money and advancement,” chances are they will accept a counter-offer.

Counter-offer Solution #2: Cover the topic of counter-offers in your initial interview. You will be amazed at the number of candidates willing to admit they would accept a counter-offer if one was extended. You need to walk away and surface another candidate. Do not waste your valuable time on a candidate you will never place!

Counter-offer Solution #3: If the candidate insists they will NOT accept a counter-offer if one was extended, ask them to give you the reason why – in their own words. Draw a square on your application form and write down verbatim what they say. When a counter-offer is extended, you read them their own words. This brings them back to the other, very compelling reasons they were contemplating a change, which often cannot be solved by a promotion and raise.

Counter-offer Solution #4: Always discuss with a candidate the “lack of trust” issue that may arise from their employer. An employer might forgive the fact that an employee was out interviewing with other companies, but they never forget. When another opportunity becomes available in the company, will they offer it to your candidate or to someone they know has been 100% loyal to them? It is helpful to have current articles available on this topic.

Counter-offer Solution #5: Follow-up, Follow-up and Follow-up! Your job really begins after the candidate accepts your offer. Walk them through their resignation, give them samples of resignation letters and have them fill out tax papers or benefit papers before their start date to align them to your company. If at all possible, have their new boss take them to lunch prior to their start date.

Counter-offer trend
The new trend in counter-offers is not an immediate counter-offer but one that happens on Day 13 of a two-week resignation or thirty days after the person starts their new job. We have seen counter-offers being extended six months after a person leaves because they have not found a replacement. You must mentor and guide your new employee through their first year with your company. You have to become their “trusted advisor” so you can uncover any problem areas before they turn into counter-offer failure.

Offer Turndown Solutions

Offer Turndown Solution #1: Conduct a general interview, not aimed at one specific opportunity with your company. Only then will you uncover the hot buttons of this candidate and what will motivate them to make a career move.

Offer Turndown Solution #2: You need to stress the importance to everyone involved in the interviewing process of the following:

• They need to SELL your company
• They need to SELL the specific opportunity
• They have to LISTEN twice as much as they talk
• They need to SELL advancement potential
• They need to SHARE your retention statistics
• They need to KEEP the interview process moving (TIME KILLS DEALS!)

Offer Turndown Solution #3: It is important that you have detailed information on the other opportunities this individual is considering. It is impossible to compete if you don’t know who your competition is and what they are offering. You also need to inquire “where they are” in the interviewing process.

Candidates are usually pretty “open” about their other interviews because they know it can “increase their value” to your company. If you have conducted a general interview, you know what is most important to this candidate – which does give you a competitive edge.

Offer Turndown Solution #4: Remember to re-interview your candidate throughout the process. The answers you received in your initial interview were the best answers this candidate would give to a “complete stranger.” As your rapport with this candidate improves, they will give you more honest, candid answers which again helps you know where you must focus if you want to attract this person to your company.

Offer Turndown Solution #5: We often have “selective hearing” when red flags start to appear during the interviewing process. Make sure you check references and cut a candidate out early in the process if red flags are obvious. If they rigorously sell themselves back in, you may decide to keep them in the process. Don’t waste your time on candidates that you know will not accept any offer you extend.

* We hope this article helps you succeed in selecting the best and brightest talent for your company.

Produce Careers Inc
122 Le Point St, Suite 202
Arroyo Grande, CA
(805) 481-3200
www.producecareers.com