Finding the right employee for your company can be a long journey. After weeding through applications and conducting interviews, you finally decide on the candidate you want to hire and make your offer. That should be the end of the process, right? Not necessarily. Unfortunately, your favorite candidate may already have an employer who isn’t willing to part with their talents, and they may decide to make a counteroffer. What do you do in this situation, and how do you go about overcoming a counteroffer?
Be Proactive
First and foremost, if the employee is a must-have for your operation, you need to be proactive as soon as you learn about the counteroffer. Don’t assume that you’ve already made your best sales pitch, your work is finished, and the candidate will decide to join your team. Now that the candidate’s original employer has stepped up, show them how serious you are as well. Send follow-up emails, make phone calls and try to create the kind of personal connection that will steer the candidate in your direction.
Don’t Demonize the Original Employer
In competitive situations, it’s tempting to speak badly about the company that’s trying to retain a candidate’s services. While pointing out the flaws in your competition has the potential to help your cause, it can just as easily backfire. Negativity doesn’t necessarily instill confidence, and you want your company to be as attractive as possible. Instead of pointing out the original employer’s failings, talk about the skills and experience the candidate gained in their current position and about how they can use those skills to greater success as a member of your team.
Appeal to the Candidate’s Reasons for Leaving
Obviously, the candidate in question wouldn’t have been seeking new employment if they were completely happy in their current job. After interviewing the candidate, you should have some sense of why they may be dissatisfied with their employer. Use that information to your advantage and point to ways in which your company is superior. And remember, you can talk up your company without putting the other company down.
Trust Here’s Help Staffing & Recruiting With Your Staffing Needs
At Here’s Help Staffing & Recruiting, we know how difficult it can be to find quality candidates. For 30 years, our dedicated specialists have worked closely with clients throughout the Hudson Valley to find employees to suit their needs. If you’d like to learn more about our Hudson Valley staffing services, contact us online or give one of our team members a call.
