At Jackie Cory Recruitment, we’ve seen an increasing trend that affects both recruiters and employers: counter offers. Often, candidates attend interviews not with the genuine intention of leaving their current role but to test the waters. They are then offered a new job, only to turn it down when their current employer makes a counter offer to retain them.
This situation not only wastes time and resources for recruitment agencies, but also frustrates our client companies. According to a recent South African recruitment survey, nearly 50% of employees who receive counter offers decide to stay with their current employer. This trend is not unique to South Africa—globally, 67% of candidates who are countered with a higher offer choose to remain in their current roles. Employers, unwilling to lose experienced staff, are resorting to this tactic to avoid the cost and hassle of rehiring.
While counter offers may seem like a win for candidates, studies show that 80% of those who accept them end up leaving their job within six months to a year. This is often because the original reasons for seeking new opportunities, such as dissatisfaction with the work environment or lack of growth, remain unresolved.
To mitigate this issue, we now prioritize transparency in our recruitment process. One of the first questions we ask candidates is whether they are genuinely committed to making a career move or simply using the interview to gain leverage for a counter offer. Open dialogue ensures that time isn’t wasted on candidates who aren’t ready to commit.
Counter offers are part of the recruitment landscape, but with open communication and clear intentions, both candidates and employers can avoid unnecessary disruptions.
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