You’ve found a great candidate.
They’ve accepted your offer.
Then suddenly… their current employer comes in with a counter offer. Yuck.
It happens more than ever right now – and when it does, it throws everyone off. But here’s what you need to remember:
A counter offer doesn’t usually fix the original reason someone was looking to leave. It just delays it. And more often than not, candidates who accept a counter offer are back on the market within 6 months.
Because guess what? That £5K pay rise hasn’t changed the workload issues. It’s likely this candidate will come back around, and regardless of whether you’d re-engage or not, you should always want people having a positive opinion of you as a (potential) employer.
So how can you educe the risk of a counter offer?
✅ Dig deep in early conversations. Understand the real reasons someone wants to leave – not just surface-level frustrations.
✅ Move quickly and communicate well. Delays or silence can open the door for their current employer to step in.
✅ Make the offer meaningful. It’s not always about money – think long-term growth, flexibility, and values alignment.
✅ And, if a counter offer comes up, keep the conversation open and supportive. Avoid letting ego take over – the candidate’s making a big life decision, often after years with their current employer which comes with established relationships and loyalty. Reconfirm the value of your offer, then give them space. If they choose to stay put, wish them well and leave things on a good note. The industry’s too small for burned bridges – how you handle a counter offer says a lot.
I always think it’s better to know now than a month into their employment. You want people who believe in your business and are genuinely excited to join.
Those who accept a counter offer often aren’t in that headspace – and that’s okay. It means they weren’t the right fit right now.
And that’s far better to find out before onboarding than after investing time, energy, and team buy-in into someone whose heart isn’t fully in it.
Let them go with grace and keep building a business that people are proud to say yes to the first time around.
For more tips and guidance on navigating counter offers, please do not hesitate to contact the Connectus Recruitment team.
0208 137 0676 | hello@connectusrecruitment.co.uk