Job Offers

I felt embarrassed presenting this job offer. The candidate wanted £60k. The client offered £58k. Here’s how £2k derailed the entire process. When I spoke with the client about the offer for an operations role, I already sensed where this was going. The candidate had been completely clear. £60k was the minimum required to make the move. The client had flexibility. They simply chose not to use it. Instead, they came in £2k under. I felt uncomfortable putting that offer forward. From the client’s perspective, it probably felt like a small win. In reality, it sent a much louder message: “𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 — 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯.” That message lands on day one. And it lingers. £2k over 12 months is roughly £166 a month. Compare that to the cost of damaged trust and a poor first impression — costs that don’t show up neatly on a spreadsheet. Yes, everyone wants to save money. But this isn’t about a bullet point on Excel. It’s about someone’s career. Their perception of your culture. Their motivation to go above and beyond once they join. Top candidates remember moments like this. They talk to other top candidates. They share stories at industry events. And suddenly, your attempt to save £2k becomes someone else’s warning sign. Your loss. Someone else’s great hire. And a reputation that’s harder to repair than it was to protect.

I sent a candidate to final interview and gave the hiring team a heads-up: “She’s in final interviews this week with two other companies. If you're interested, be transparent and move fast.” They said: “We’re getting the offer through proper channels. Should move quickly.” That was Wednesday. She waited. Thursday -> nothing. Friday -> still nothing. The weekend hit. By Monday, I checked in again. The offer was “still in approval.” Meanwhile, another company moved. They finished the interview, sent the offer that same day, and kept her excited. She tried to wait for this team. It was a top pick. But when Tuesday rolled around, she couldn’t gamble on a maybe and risk losing the offer in hand. She accepted that offer. The hiring manager asked me, “Why didn’t she wait for us?” My answer: "Because why would she risk a sure thing for what appears as a maybe?” In hiring, nothing’s real until it’s in writing. ✅ Not the “we’re working on the offer” ✅ Not the “verbal commitment” ✅ Not even the “we’re excited to have you join us” It’s only real when the offer is signed. And even then -> it’s not final until day one onboarding. We’ve all seen it… ➡️ Budget suddenly pulled ➡️ Reorganization, and now the role isn't required. If you want a 99% guarantee? It comes down to one thing: Signatures. Everything else? Is just a possibility.

I felt embarrassed presenting this job offer. Candidate wanted £45k, client offered £44k. Here's why £1k ruined everything. When I had a call with this client about their offer for an account manager role, I had a feeling this deal was heading south. The candidate I had in mind couldn't have been clearer. She needed £45k minimum to make the move. The client had room to negotiate, but chose to lowball by exactly £1k. I felt awkward putting the offer forward. "Lucky us," the client probably thought. Not quite. You just told your new hire: → "We don't value you enough to meet a reasonable request that's within our budget." That message lands on day one. It sticks around for months. Sometimes years. £1k spread across 12 months? That's £83 per month. Versus losing trust and the power of a first impression. Which costs way more than a grand. Everyone wants to save money. But we're talking about someone's career here. Their perception of your company culture. Their willingness to go the extra mile once they start. Top candidates remember moments like this. They talk to other top candidates. They share stories at industry events. Your penny-pinching becomes their cautionary tale. Your loss becomes great talent and a hard-earned reputation.

Last week we lost a candidate at offer stage that declined an offer. (Took our team 3 months to find this candidate for a specialized sales role in a difficult metro market for the role). 😣 His salary expectations were clearly communicated from the start. To my team. To the client. Documented several times in the client portal and interview write ups, of course. Then the offer went out directly from the client… $10K under the salary number. To everyone’s surprise. The candidate didn’t walk away immediately. He countered at his original ask number. (Against our strong advising)the client increased the salary….. to half of what the original ask was. At that point, it was a decline. It wasn’t just about the money. The decline was about the back-and-forth and the feeling that his time and capabilities weren’t truly valued. I spoke with the candidate and shared that I completely understood his feelings and supported his decision. He couldn’t get past the concern that if the offer process was any indication of the employment experience, it would not be a positive move for him to take the job. He’s not wrong. Companies: don’t nickel and dime your new hires. Especially for sales roles. Compensation gaps can be fixed. Trust gaps are harder (or irreparable).

A common mistake I see when delivering an offer to candidates... In recruiting, we give out offers everyday so it can feel very routine and exciting for us. For candidates, this can be a decision that shapes their entire life and can come with a ton of mixed emotions. Think about this for yourself... Have you ever been in an interview process where things picked up quickly and all of the sudden, you are at the offer stage. You were so focused on completing each stage and putting your best foot forward that you didn't really take the time to consider all of the ramifications of changing jobs or considering multiple pathways at once. Recruiters tend to think that the moment of offer is going to be pure joy from the candidate (I made this mistake early on in my career), only to be surprised when you realize there can be 10 things that come up for the candidate that now have to be managed and worked through. Here are a few things I’ve learned to do differently: 1. Prep the candidate. I don't make promises. But I do find a moment in the process to say, “If you were to move forward to an offer, what are the things you’d need to consider in your decision?” That question alone opens the door for reflection. 2. Don’t lead with numbers. When I deliver an offer, I never jump straight into comp. I first ask: “Are there any open questions about the opportunity or role?” If there’s any vagueness or hesitation, we pause. No point delivering an offer until we’re aligned. 3. Give space to process. After I walk through the offer, I do ask if they've made a decision (a step I think is necessary as a recruiter) but I don't push after that. I answer questions. I follow up. But I respect that the weight of the moment takes time to sit with. 4. Ask how they make big decisions. I’ll often ask, “Who’s in your corner when you make big calls like this? Where do you go to think clearly?” This helps the candidate begin their decision-making process—and it helps me better support them, too. 5. Check in early and often. Sometimes I’ll say, “Hey, taking my recruiting hat off for a second—how are you feeling?” That small gesture can go a long way in building trust. We give out offers every day. But for the person on the other side of the table, this might be the biggest professional decision they’ve ever made. We should treat it that way. #hiring #recruiting #techrecruiting #techhiring

🛑 Applying online isn’t the problem. 📉 Only applying online is. If your job search consists solely of hitting “Apply” and waiting for a reply, you’re missing out on where most hiring actually happens—the hidden job market. Here’s how to go beyond the job boards and access it: 👇 1️⃣ Build a target company list Think: Where would you love to work? Not just companies that are hiring right now. Create a shortlist of 15–20 companies that align with your skills, interests, and values. 2️⃣ Find insiders Use LinkedIn to identify people at those companies—hiring managers, team leads, or peers in your function. Don’t just connect with recruiters. 3️⃣ Start conversations Instead of pitching yourself right away, start with curiosity. Ask: 🗣 “What do you love most about working at [Company]?” 🗣 “I’m exploring roles in [X]—any advice you’d give someone breaking in?” These conversations often uncover unposted roles, referral opportunities, and insider insight that makes your next application stand out. 4️⃣ Keep applying—but smarter When you do apply online, tailor your resume, write a relevant message to someone at the company, and follow up strategically. 📣 You don’t need to network with hundreds of people. Start with 2–3 meaningful conversations per week, and you’ll be surprised how many “hidden” doors open. 💬 Have you ever landed a role that wasn’t posted? Share how it happened—your story might inspire someone today. 👇 🔁 Found this helpful? Repost to help others unlock the hidden job market.

Recruiters are NOT job finders for you. Many moons ago, I received these messages from 2 CareerWareer clients. “Thanks for the resume! I’ll share this with recruiters to help me find jobs” “Do you know of any recruiters who can help me get a job in X and Y?” Now, there are many benefits to working with recruiters. They may have openings to fill and may know which companies are hiring for specific roles. But here’s the hard truth: recruiters are not job finders, but candidate finders for companies. Put it simply, recruiters are engaged by companies to find candidates to fill open roles. They work on a set number of specific roles at any one time, and are incentivized to find candidates for these roles. Not to search for jobs on behalf of candidates. Recruiters can be extremely busy. For every open role s/he is engaged to work on, s/he sources for suitable candidates, reviews incoming resumes and referrals, shortlists candidates, conducts screening calls and forwards suitable profiles for hiring managers. Hiring managers then review these profiles and select suitable candidates for interviews, which recruiters often have to drive. It’s no easy work. What does this mean for jobseekers? Recruiters won’t be interested in you if you don’t fit the roles they’re working on. You’ll probably get radio silence if you reach out. Yes, some recruiters could be happy to share job search advice and tips with you, but they are not obliged to. If you’re job searching, it’s important to remember that it’s not a recruiter’s responsibility to help you find a role or get that next career step-up. It’s yours. It’s on you to identify positions that align with your career goals, interests and talents, and then actively pursue them. Working with (great) recruiters has its benefits, but don’t let that be your only job search approach. Even if you’re a strong match for an open role, they’ll present other candidates to the company too - that’s simply part of their job.

That "Easy Apply" button on LinkedIn might be holding you back more than you realize. After two decades of placing C-suite talent, I've watched countless qualified executives disappear into the black hole of automated applications. Meanwhile, the executives who secure premium roles are rarely clicking that deceptively convenient button. Here's why direct networking outperforms digital applications every time: 🎯 When you apply through automated systems, your meticulously crafted resume competes with hundreds of others in an algorithm-driven screening process. 🎯 At the executive level, your unique value proposition gets diluted to keywords and bullet points. 🎯 Instead, focus on building meaningful connections with decision-makers. A warm introduction from a trusted contact carries exponentially more weight than even the most polished application. 🎯 Remember: by the time an executive position appears on LinkedIn, informal conversations about potential candidates have likely already begun. 🎯 The most valuable opportunities often exist in the hidden job market - positions filled through recommendations before they're ever publicly posted. By nurturing your professional network, you position yourself to be considered for roles that the "Easy Apply" crowd will never even see. Your executive experience deserves a more sophisticated approach than a convenience button designed for volume recruiting. Invest your time where it truly delivers results: in conversations, not applications. What's been your experience with executive job searching? Has networking opened doors that applications couldn't? #ExecutiveCareers #Careers #NetworkingStrategy #HiddenJobMarket

An offer letter isn’t the finish line. It’s just one moment in a long candidate journey. A friend once interviewed with a well-known media brand. It was a gloomy day in July—peak Mumbai rains. She took a 3-hour local train ride to reach their office, almost soaked to the bone. No umbrella could’ve saved her. She waited. And waited. The interviewer didn’t show up. No message. No apology. Just a casual “rains, you know?” She got the offer later. But the feeling stuck. If this is how they treat someone before joining, what would it be like after? Now compare that to another company she was speaking to: When her toddler fell sick, the interview was rescheduled with zero fuss. On the new date, she was welcomed with lunch, warm conversations and office tour. She lived quite far and asked if she would get an Uber from their location. Without hesitation, they arranged a car ride home. The hiring manager? A brilliant sales guy. When she said she’d need about two weeks to confirm the offer, he smiled and said, “You’d really take that much time?” It was subtle. Warm. Persuasive. She felt wanted. Another company she met along the way had a hiring team that stayed in touch throughout—updates after every round, casual check-ins, even an invite to a virtual HR celebration. No radio silence. No ambiguity. None of this was elaborate or expensive. It just made her feel seen, respected, and valued. We often ask, “Why did the candidate drop out?” Maybe the better question is—“What could we have done to make them stay?” Some simple things go a long way: • Keep the conversation going—even when you don’t have a decision yet. • Let hiring managers build early rapport. • Acknowledge personal situations—be human. • Give them a feel of your culture before they even step in. • Stay close after the offer—especially during notice periods. People don’t walk away just for better pay. They walk away when they don’t feel like they belong. What’s a small gesture you’ve seen that left a big impression on a candidate/ you? #CandidateExperience #HiringMatters #EmployerBranding #OfferDropouts #HRLeadership #TalentAcquisition #HumanTouch Images from google

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 If you’re spending hours scrolling executive job boards, tailoring resumes for every role, and still hearing crickets, you’re not alone. It’s a painful reality many senior professionals face. Here’s the brutal truth few talk about: 90 to 95 per cent of senior executive roles never get posted publicly. Why does this happen? Executive hiring is a very different game. These roles are often filled quietly through direct search, referrals and trusted networks. Companies don’t want a flood of applications; they want the right candidate — fast and discreetly. So what does this mean for you? 1. You’re competing with hundreds for a handful of roles. The tiny percentage of roles that do get posted attract 250-plus applicants. Sorting through this pile is overwhelming for recruiters. Even your perfectly crafted resume risks being lost. 2. Recruiters rely on LinkedIn, not job boards. When a mandate comes in, executive recruiters open LinkedIn Recruiter and search for specific keywords, titles and skills. They want passive candidates who aren’t applying everywhere but who are positioned perfectly and ready to move. 3. Being ‘active’ on job boards can backfire. Posting everywhere can label you as desperate or unfocused. Recruiters want professionals who are strategic and targeted, not scrambling for any role. 4. Your time is precious — stop wasting it on a broken system. Instead of applying blindly, invest your time in optimising your LinkedIn profile so recruiters can find you first. Build meaningful relationships with decision-makers and headhunters. Personalised, strategic outreach beats mass applications every time. 5. The ‘hidden job market’ is where the real opportunities live. These unadvertised roles go to candidates who have positioned themselves as the obvious choice, not the ones who apply last. If you want to move beyond the noise and frustration of job boards, here’s your new playbook: • Invest in LinkedIn optimisation. Keywords, clear titles, skills and a profile that speaks recruiter language. • Build and nurture your network strategically. Connect with people who can influence hiring decisions or introduce you to key players. • Engage with recruiters through value-driven communication. Show you understand their needs and offer solutions, not just resumes. • Focus on quality over quantity. Tailor your approach rather than mass applying. Stop chasing job boards. Start positioning yourself where the real opportunities are found. ___________________________________ My name is Belinda Paris. For 25+ years, I’ve helped senior executives craft impactful resumes, optimise LinkedIn profiles, and land their desired roles. My background as an executive recruiter and 8 years as a career coach have given me unique expertise in showcasing leadership impact and creating career narratives that get results. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱? Follow me, comment & share to help others level up their careers!