QUESTION: Can you give me some ideas on preventing falloffs and counteroffers? It seems like they are much more prevalent in the past year.
The Need for a Process in Candidate Management
We have heard that from clients. We have heard that from the industry. I do not think you are experiencing anything the rest of the industry is not. Having said that, whenever I find someone who has an excessive amount, because, let’s face it, some candidates, no matter how great you are at this, lie. They are liars. They make a commitment. I have had people give me their word of honor that they were going to take a job and they fell off.
So, what I am about to say, and I do not know you, you are not a client, so I am not accusing you of this. In this situation, most people do not have it in their heads or have a written process of what should occur on every call to minimize or reduce counteroffers and falloffs. You cannot eliminate them because some people are liars. Because you cannot cover it at the end and hope it sticks. It is better than never, but it has got to be part of the process.
The Importance of Consistent Candidate Communication
One of the best ways to do this is where I will challenge a lot of you; you will not go with the effort because we are lazy. This adds a few minutes to every phone call. How many hours does it take to restart a search or if your placed candidate gets a counter or has a falloff? Do they hire another recruiter or an internal candidate, costing you $20,000 to $30,000? Is it worth the investment of an extra half hour throughout the process with the person who will take the offer if I had to guess quickly?
Incorporating Psychological Techniques in Recruiting
I learned this from Danny Cahill decades ago. I thought it was brilliant. Honor is due to Danny on this one. Psychologically brilliant. When you are taking a datasheet and assessing a candidate, you will likely be able to arrange the interview, not just any random candidate. I am interviewing and assessing this person. I am pretty sure they will go on the interview, or I will at least present them; that is when you start. That is when you start.
During the first interview, one of the things to do after you have done the assessment is to say to them:
“Before we go, I want you to imagine this scenario, Mary, as a candidate. You should imagine you have gone through this gauntlet of interviews for the next three or four weeks. You’ve make some tough decisions and decide to leave this opportunity with this company you have been at for three years. You pack your desk, pictures of your kids, family, and mementos in a cardboard box then walk out the door. You’re relieved and excited about this new opportunity.”
“You get an email on Sunday night before you are supposed to start on Monday. The email says, hey Mary, sorry to drop this on you so late and sorry for the late notice. We have decided not to hire you and to revoke the offer. We found someone on Friday who is a bit better and a better match for us. So, thanks for your time. We really appreciate you coming to the interview, but you do not have an offer.”
“What is your reaction to that, Mary?”
Using Scenarios to Manage Candidate Expectations
This is one of my favorite parts of the phone call. For all of you, I really recommend you do it because it’s just fun to listen to the vitriol that will come out of their mouth about, I have a signed offer letter, that’s illegal, that is so unethical.
You just let them go. Do not even interrupt. You sit there. Have a glass of water. Do not talk. Just listen. Let them get it all out. When they are finally done about how abhorrent that is, you simply say, I have never had a client do that.
“The great new is, Mary, I have never had a client do that. I have never heard anything about this company doing that. The reason I wanted to ask you is, how would it be any different if you did that to them?”
Then again, I shut up. Emotion casts a very powerful mark on the brain. They will never forget that. You set up a scenario that is really the same thing they are doing to a company.
Setting and Managing Expectations Early in the Recruiting Process
I have found that when I asked that, there was this pause, and I know it had a huge impact. Then I went into the you can say no until you say yes. I did the story, and then I said, you can say no until you say yes.
“Our job together, Mary, is to uncover all this information, to make sure it is a hell yes or a hell no so we do not put you in that position.”
In the process, I tell them it is totally OK to say now until they say yes. It is OK to say no until they say yes, meaning you can tell me, Mr. or Ms. Candidate, I do not want to go on the interview. You can say to them, I do not want to go on the second interview. You can ultimately get down to the end of it and if the numbers are not in alignment, you can tell me, I do not want the offer. Until you say yes and accept an offer, then you can no longer say no.
“Our job, Mr. or Ms. Candidate, throughout the process, once the client wants to interview you, I know this is the first date, really premature, but I want to make sure we set you up for success. I want to ensure we set you up with all the information so that when we reach the end, it is a hell yes or a hell no. A maybe to me is a no. I need to think about it until a week from Thursday at 2:00 is a no.”
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The Dangers of Coddling Candidates
Setting and managing expectations. Recruiters do not do this because they are so excited that they have somebody who will go on the interview that they coddle them, and then they are shocked when they get ghosted. They are shocked when an offer comes in and they cannot get a hold of somebody.
I am selling this, not like these are the rules to work with me. Our job together is that you and I can cover all the things you need to know for this to be a hell yes or a hell no. I am not going to be hurt or upset with a no. I used to say it like this, even if I was not doing a search.
“You know, Mary, I am going to make the placement either way. Just be honest with me. OK?”
Again, we are setting the table at the very, very beginning. Expectations.
Then each debrief, you are creating alignment. You are asking a question that a lot of recruiters do not ask.
“Since the last time we talked, Mary, what has come across your plate that interests you and that you have decided to interview for?”
It’s not a yes or no question of, has anything come across? Let them tell you nothing.
Early Transparency: Understanding the Candidate’s Job Search
The other thing you can say early on in the process on that first call is:
“If you are interviewing, just tell me you are interviewing. I understand you must do what is best for yourself and your career. I just want to know where you are at and what you like about it.”
And then, if there is anything, if they did say they interviewed, compare and contrast, what did you like? You do not have to tell me where you are interviewing. You do not have to tell me anything about the job. What exactly, specifically, and precisely makes it better? How is our opportunity better? What would have to be true for ours to be the leader and chosen above the other one? It might not be possible. I just want to hear what those things are. Right. I am checking in every interview, something like that.
The “Hell Yes” Mentality in Recruiting
Another metaphor I used was in relationships; if one person proposes and the other person says give me the weekend, what message is that sending? Right. In alignment with the hell yes mentality, the company wants to see that level of excitement.
Again, our job is to get all the information for you to be excited and make sure the numbers are right. Then I am going to be poking them, for what is the right number? Specifically, I am going to ask them two numbers.
I am going to ask them for the number at which a dollar below is a no, a hell no, and the number that they would like to see, not some wishful pie in the sky, but I am currently at $105,000 and I am probably due for a raise, but it is only going to be like $2,000 or $3,000.
“Yeah I really like this opportunity. I would make a lateral, but considering the raise, I would need a minimum of $109,000. So, $108,000 is a no and $109,000 is a yes.”
“Mary, if they come back to me and they say $108,000, I will not even present it to you. I will just say no.”
“No, I would like to see it.”
“Well, that is not going to happen.”
Setting and Managing Compensation Expectations
I am doing all this before the offer comes. I am pushing down on that. With Mary, I am going to use this number $108,000. Let’s say I know it is going to come in around $115,000. I want to have this expectation that anything above $109,000 is thrilled. Because if they go $115,000, whatever number they say is the number they would like to have, I always make this “Oooh, I don’t know,” that is going to be a stretch. Setting and managing expectations. Setting and managing expectations. I cannot say that enough. I’m setting and managing expectations.
I want to reduce their expectations of what they are going to get. Again, you are asking about reducing turndowns and falloffs. They are excited about something that, if you did not handle it the right way, they would have only been moderately interested in. If you just said, I really think I could get you $115,000 and you come in at $113,000, now they are pissed off, where I have got them thinking $108,000 or $109,000. It is like, at $108,000 I would take it, and $107,000 is a no and $108,000 is a yes.
You might think that is hard. It is not because all I am doing is I am just a mirror. I am reflecting back what they are saying. I would like to think about it. Think about it now. The offer is not here. You do not have to give me this number in this moment, but I want you to think about it to come in with what that number is, the dollar at which below it is a no, because I need that number.
The Power of Early Conversations
You can actually start that after the first interview debrief. Again, it is still early. All these things are setting and managing expectations. I am not dumping the whole counteroffer conversation with them at the end of the process. If you wait until the end of the process, it is almost ineffective. It is better than nothing, do not get me wrong, but it is almost ineffective because the mindset now of the candidate is that Mike just wants to save his fee, something about me, he just wants to make sure I take the job so he can cash his placement fee. Great question!
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