By JEN LIND, Administration & Operations Sr. Recruiter at Boly:Welch
Q: We keep losing candidates to counteroffers. Is there anything we can do to prevent this?
A. One of the most difficult phone calls we make as recruiters happens after weeks of conversations, interviews, and negotiations, when a candidate calls to say, “My current employer made me a counteroffer… and I’ve decided to stay.”
It’s frustrating, but it’s also becoming more common.
When an employee gives notice, employers often move quickly to retain them with more money, a new title, or promises about future opportunities. The question is whether those offers actually solve the reason the person started looking in the first place.
That’s why recruiters spend so much time early in the hiring process understanding why a candidate is open to making a move. Is it compensation? A lack of growth? Leadership? Flexibility? Those motivations matter because not every problem can be solved with a raise.
One technique recruiters use is called pre-closing. Before an offer is ever extended, we’ll ask candidates questions like, “If this role came together at the salary, benefits, and flexibility we’ve discussed, would you accept?” If there’s hesitation, we dig deeper. We also ask another important question: “If your current employer makes a counteroffer, what would you do?”
Those conversations help uncover concerns before anyone reaches the offer stage.
For employers, the takeaway is simple: don’t wait until the offer to understand what matters most to your candidate. The more you know about what’s motivating their search, the better positioned you’ll be to present an opportunity that’s compelling on its own — not one that’s easily undone by a last-minute counteroffer.
Because in today’s market, winning talent isn’t just about making a great offer. It’s about making the right offer for the right reasons.
If you’re an employer looking to retain the team you have, we just covered this topic in B:Side!
