Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

In today’s competitive talent market, companies can’t afford to make hiring mistakes or lose great candidates due to preventable issues. At Egret Consulting, we’ve seen firsthand how costly those mistakes can be. This year alone, 25% of our offers were turned down, most often because of salary misalignment. That statistic points to one of the biggest reasons organizations turn to recruiters. We help manage candidate expectations and salary requirements before an offer is ever made.

Recruiters Know the Market and Your Competition

When you work with a recruiter, you’re not just hiring someone to post a job and forward résumés. You’re hiring someone who spends every day talking to professionals in your space, including employees at your competitors. When we present you with a candidate and share their salary expectations, those numbers aren’t arbitrary—they’re grounded in real-time market knowledge.

If a candidate is offered less than what they need to make a move, it doesn’t just lower the likelihood they’ll accept. It also signals that the company undervalues them, which can damage your reputation as an employer. Recruiters act as your bridge, ensuring offers are both competitive and aligned with industry standards.

The Salary Question: Why Lowballing Backfires

For hiring managers who extend offers below a candidate’s current pay, here’s a reality check: would you take a $10,000 pay cut to join a new company? Most of us wouldn’t—and neither will top talent. Salary missteps are one of the fastest ways to turn an excited candidate into a declined offer.

Research backs this up. A Gartner survey (2022) found that 44% of candidates backed out even after accepting an offer, while a Career Plug survey (2023) showed that 52% of job seekers have declined offers due to poor candidate experiences. And the number one deal-breaker? Lack of pay transparency—38% of candidates reject offers when salary isn’t disclosed.

Candidate Experience Is a Two-Way Street

The hiring process should be a dialogue, not an interrogation. Candidates are evaluating your company just as much as you’re evaluating them. Interviews and negotiations set the tone for whether they’ll see your organization as a place where they’re respected, valued, and fairly compensated.

A seasoned recruiter or coach can help both sides approach these conversations with clarity and confidence, turning potential red flags into opportunities for trust and alignment.

Pay Transparency: The New Baseline

Adding to the urgency is the wave of pay transparency laws sweeping across the country. These laws require employers to disclose salary ranges either in job postings or during the hiring process. Their purpose is to close gender and equity pay gaps, but for employers, they’re also reshaping hiring practices.

Currently, 16 states and several municipalities (including NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, MD, IL, OH, DC, MN, WA, CO, NV, CA, and HI) have enacted pay transparency regulations. For HR leaders, compliance is non-negotiable—and it also presents an opportunity. By embracing pay transparency, companies can strengthen trust with candidates and build a reputation as fair, progressive employers.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a recruiter is about much more than filling an open seat. It’s about:

• Accurate market intelligence: We know what candidates expect and what competitors are paying.
• Stronger offers: Recruiters help you present packages that win talent without overspending.
• Better candidate experience: From the first conversation to the signed offer, we ensure candidates feel respected and valued.
• Compliance and credibility: With pay transparency laws on the rise, having expert guidance keeps you ahead of the curve.

At the end of the day, recruiters are not here to drain your budget—we’re here to make sure you get the best candidate for your company. Because when offers are aligned, expectations are clear, and conversations are handled with care, everyone wins.