Employer’s what are you doing? Do you know talent when you see it? If you do, the majority of you are blowing it big time.
The reason I say a majority of you is that there are still some highly evolved hiring manager’s out there. You know who you are. This is a follow-up to my blog about low balling star candidates. I keep seeing this trend occurring. Watch out for the counter offer. It will be the way the low balled candidate will go to get a raise at their former place and stay. While your thinking might be, “why take a candidate who would take a counter offer”?, don’t fool yourself. You took all the time in the world trying to decide on this candidate by checking references, conducting several interviews just to end up losing the candidate.
You are not showing the “love”? that the candidate is looking for. They will then find the “love”? after going in to resign and end up getting a counter offer that ultimately keeps them in their current position.
If you are working with a headhunter for your search, you should listen to the headhunter when they tell you the salary expectations of the candidate. If you are comfortable with this than proceed. If not, don’t go further in the process. Also, most importantly, do not tell the candidate that they come with a price on their head. This has happened to Best Headhunters in several of our last searches. This is information the candidate should not have to deal with on their interview. If you did not want or could not afford to use a recruiter, then don’t. It is very disrespectful to the headhunter to have the candidate relay what you said to them on their interview regarding our prearranged fee. Essentially, you are telling the candidate “we have to pay a fee so you will have to suffer.”? The candidate translates this to “We will have to low ball you on your salary or not hire you at all if we can find another body for free.”? Headhunters are the cheerleaders for you and your company if they are doing their job well…they are working in you company’s best interest. If this is how you truly feel about your headhunter, than there is no trust. A good recruiter is getting paid by the client and is relaying the wishes of the candidate. Not jacking up the salary for a bigger fee.
Talent is not easy to come by no matter where you find it. No matter what reason the candidate gives as to why they are looking to leave their company, in the end, 99% of the time, it is all about the money.