Counter-offers are most likely when a candidate's reasons for moving are vague, money-led or untested with their current employer. Hiring managers reduce the risk by testing motivation early, moving quickly once a preferred candidate is clear, making a complete offer first time and staying in close contact through a long notice period.
The most expensive moment in a senior FM appointment is not the offer. It is the week after, when your preferred candidate hands in their notice and their employer asks what it would take to keep them.
Good facilities and estates leaders are hard to replace, and their employers know it. A counter-offer is often the first serious conversation they have had about the person's future, and it can be persuasive. Here is how to see it coming and what to do about it.
Why senior FM candidates get counter-offered
At senior level, losing a Head of Facilities or Director of Estates mid-programme is a real risk to the business. A capital project, an outsourcing change or a compliance recovery may depend on them. Replacing them takes months. Faced with that, many employers will move quickly on salary, title or scope.
The warning signs
- The reasons for moving are vague. "Looking for a new challenge" without specifics often means the candidate has not decided what they want.
- The reasons are mostly money. If salary is the main driver, their employer can usually fix it.
- They have not raised the issue at work. A candidate who has never told their manager they are frustrated may find the problem is solved the day they resign.
- They are slow to commit to dates. Hesitancy over interviews, references or a start date can signal a candidate keeping options open.
- They mention a project they want to finish. Loyalty to a programme is admirable, and it is also the easiest lever for an employer to pull.
What to do, stage by stage
At the first conversation
Ask directly why they would leave, and what would need to be true for them to stay. Then ask whether they have raised it at work. The answers tell you how real the move is.
During the process
Keep it moving. Long gaps between stages give candidates time to have second thoughts and give their employer time to notice. Agree interview dates in advance and give feedback within a couple of days.
At offer
Make a complete offer first time: salary, bonus, car or allowance, pension, flexibility and the scope of the role in writing. A slow or piecemeal offer invites comparison. Talk about the counter-offer openly before they resign, so it is not a surprise.
During notice
Senior notice periods are often long. Stay in touch: introduce them to the team, share the onboarding plan, invite them to a site visit. People rarely turn back towards an employer they already feel part of.
What the counter-offer usually contains
It helps to know what your candidate is likely to be offered, because it is rarely just money. At senior FM level we typically see some combination of a salary increase, a promise of promotion or a bigger portfolio, a change of reporting line, more flexibility, or a role on the project the candidate cared most about. Sometimes it arrives from someone much more senior than the person they normally deal with, which is flattering in itself.
Most of these can be anticipated. If the candidate has told you that their frustration is reporting into procurement rather than operations, ask them how they would respond if their employer offered to change it. If they would stay, you have learnt something important before investing in further interviews.
Should you ever match a counter-offer?
Sometimes a counter-offer reveals that your offer was below the market. If so, it is worth fixing. But if the candidate accepts a counter-offer for reasons that were never about money, the underlying issue usually returns. A candidate who needs a bidding war to commit is a risk in the first year.
This is a large part of what a specialist search firm does: testing motivation before anyone is shortlisted, keeping the process tight and managing the period between offer and start. If you are planning a senior FM or estates appointment, talk to our team, or read how retained search, contingency and in-house hiring compare.
