Scores counter-offer and fall-off risk out of 16 from your screening notes before you submit, tells you to submit, call first or hold, and writes the questions and talk track to deal with it. Once an offer is close it adds resignation prep: an editable letter and a check-in plan through the start date.
Screening and interviewscategory
No scriptsinstructions only, sends nothing
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---
name: counter-offer-checker
description: Scores a candidate's counter-offer and fall-off risk before you submit them, then writes the questions and talk track to deal with it before the offer, plus resignation prep. Use when a recruiter asks "will they take a counter", "check counter-offer risk", "resignation prep", pastes screening notes for a candidate about to be submitted, or a candidate is about to resign.
license: MIT
metadata:
author: Work Insiders
version: "1.0"
pack: agency-desk-pack
---
# Counter-offer checker
Most agency fall-offs are decided long before the offer: the candidate never had a real reason to leave, or their employer had an easy way to keep them. Your job: spot that early, while there is still time to deal with it or stop.
If `references/agency-profile.md` exists, read the guarantee period. A fall-off inside the guarantee costs the agency a refund or a free replacement, so say so when the risk is high.
## Input
- Screening notes or a call transcript.
- Current pay and the role's pay, if known.
- Anything about the current employer: a recent raise, a promised promotion, the manager, workload.
## Step 1: score the risk
Score each factor 0 (low risk), 1 or 2 (high risk). Use only what the notes say. If the notes do not cover a factor, mark it `ASK` and score it 1.
| Factor | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reason to leave | Specific, about the work or growth, said unprompted | General ("ready for a change") | Only money, or no clear reason |
| Pay jump | Under 10% | 10 to 20% | Over 20%, or money is the main reason |
| Who started it | Candidate was already looking | Open after one call | Recruited cold, not looking at all |
| Current employer | Has tried to fix it and failed, or cannot fix it | Unknown | Has matched offers before, or is "talking about" a promotion |
| Other activity | No other processes | One other process | Several offers or late-stage interviews |
| Decision talked through | Candidate says they have discussed it with anyone who has a say | Not discussed yet | Candidate says someone with a say is against it |
| Tenure | 2 to 5 years | Under 1 year, or 6 to 10 | Over 10 years in one place |
| How they talk about resigning | Has thought it through, has a date in mind | Unsure | Nervous, avoids the topic, "I'll see what they say" |
Total out of 16:
- **0 to 5, low:** submit. Do resignation prep before the offer.
- **6 to 10, medium:** submit, and run the counter-offer conversation below before the second interview.
- **11 to 16, high:** tell the recruiter plainly. Hold the submittal until the candidate has a reason to move that is not money, or write down why you are submitting anyway.
## Step 2: questions to close the gaps
Write a question for every `ASK` and every 2. Keep them natural, for example:
- "If your manager matched this number tomorrow, what would still bother you about staying?"
- "When did you first start thinking about leaving? What happened that week?"
- "Who else has a say in this move, and where are they on it?"
- "How has your company reacted when other people resigned?"
## Step 3: the counter-offer conversation
Draft five to seven lines for the recruiter's phone call. A talk track, not a script to read. It should:
1. Ask the candidate to predict the counter: "What do you think they'll do when you resign?"
2. Have them say in their own words why more money would not fix their reasons.
3. Agree that if a counter comes, they call the recruiter before they answer.
4. Never run down the current employer, and never quote made-up statistics about counter-offers.
## Step 4: resignation prep, once an offer is close
- A short resignation letter the candidate can edit: thanks, last day, an offer to help with handover. Nothing about the new job or the reason.
- Advice: resign in person or on video, hand over the letter, keep it brief, do not negotiate in the meeting.
- A check-in plan: the recruiter calls the evening of the resignation, then weekly until the start date.
## Output
```
COUNTER-OFFER CHECK: [Candidate] for [Role]
Score: [n]/16 -> Low / Medium / High
Biggest risks: [top two factors, with the evidence]
Ask before submitting: [questions]
Talk track: [five to seven lines]
Recommendation: Submit / Submit after the call / Hold
```
## Rules
- Base every score on the notes. Never guess about someone's personal life.
- Never score on family status, age, health or other protected traits, even if the notes mention them.
- The candidate decides. The aim is an honest decision early, not pressure.
The agency profile it reads (fill this in so it uses your real details)
# Agency profile
Fill this in once. Every skill in the pack reads it, so every output comes out in your agency's voice with your real terms. Delete any line you do not want the AI to use. Leave a line blank rather than guessing.
## Who we are
- Agency name:
- Recruiter name and title (for sign-offs):
- Phone:
- Mailing address (needed for US commercial email):
- Years in business:
- Specialties (roles we fill):
- Markets (cities, regions or "US remote"):
- Industries we know best:
## Terms
- Direct hire fee basis (e.g. % of first-year base):
- Guarantee period and type (free replacement / pro-rata refund / credit; conditions, e.g. fee paid within terms):
- Contract markup or bill rate approach:
- Exclusive or retained options:
- Payment terms (e.g. net 30 from start date):
- Introduction period (how long a candidate we introduce stays ours):
- Contract-to-hire conversion fee:
- Concessions we allow, and their limits:
## Proof points we can share
- Placements, time to fill, or retention figures we are happy to quote:
- Client names we may mention (only with permission):
## How we work
- ATS:
- Do we text candidates? (yes/no):
- Name the client in first candidate messages? (yes/no):
- Blind profiles: always / new clients only / never:
- Include pay expectation in submittals? (yes/no):
- Job post apply instructions:
- EEO statement:
## Cold email
- Sequencer we use (e.g. Instantly, Smartlead, EmailBison, lemlist, Apollo):
- Sending domains (lookalikes only, never our main domain):
- Mailboxes and the sender names on them:
- Countries we email (sets which email and data laws apply):
- Opt-out line we use (e.g. "Reply 'no' and I won't email again."):
- Booking link (sent only after someone replies yes):
- Where our current clients, opt outs and do-not-contact list are kept:
## Words we never use
-
Yes. It is part of the free Work Insiders Agency Desk Pack, MIT licensed, so you can edit and share it.
Does Counter-offer Checker work in Gemini?
Yes. Upload it in Gemini Enterprise or drop the folder into Gemini CLI's skills folder. In the regular Gemini app, paste its instructions into a Gem.
Can I trust it with my data?
It has no scripts and sends nothing anywhere. Whatever you paste goes only to your AI assistant, under that assistant's own data terms, so remove candidate details you do not need first. It can still steer how the assistant answers, so read it before you use it.
Written by Work Insiders for agency recruiters. Fill in the agency profile before you use it so it never invents fees or proof points. How we make money.
