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The problem of counter offers is increasing in prevalence in the building services sector because it is so difficult to recruit experienced staff. Often when you have successfully interviewed a candidate and are keen to progress with employment another firm will make a bid for their services. It is at this stage that their employer will be informed. You may have come across situations before where the candidate is using this opportunity to bargain with their current employer - but this is actually quite rare. It is more common that you will be competing against another prospective employer. So, how do you handle it?

Ideally, you avoid it completely in the first place. This can be achieved by ensuring that you really sell your company and the complete package at interview stage. For example, have you taken time to explain all the benefits that are included in the package? Career development is always high on a jobseeker's wish list, but is often not emphasised enough at the early stages of recruitment. It is inevitable that these aspects will influence a jobseeker's decision later when they are deciding between two or more companies.

Once you have made your offer and the situation of counter offers has arisen, remember to stay calm. Effective negotiation skills are required and it can be just as disastrous if you rush in too soon with a salary offer which is over budget than if you offer a tiny salary increase and lose the candidate to your competitor. Now for the plug - working with a recruitment consultancy is a good option here because they won't be swayed by personal feelings.

Make sure that you don't waste time with unrealistic offers, which only serve to prolong the process. Respond quickly to any negotiations and have a clear and realistic final offer in mind. While it is a competitive market and recruiting the best people is difficult, it is not impossible.

Your ultimate aim will be to get the offer confirmed in writing at the first opportunity. This forms a binding contract between you and the candidate. Plus, the quicker that you receive written confirmation, the sooner that they can hand in their notice and start work.

Remember, if you are working with a recruitment consultant they will have been through this process hundreds of times before, so work with them to resolve the situation. Your recruitment consultant will have a strong knowledge of both parties, will know what aspects might sway a decision and can recommend how far you should negotiate.

Mike McNally is UK Manager of recruitment consultant Hays ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Services

Office

80% of businesses claim to have a full or reasonable business continuity plan in place according to research by electronic document management software supplier Version One. The firm says this is a 20% increase on the January 2006 figure.

The survey of senior staff from 75 organisations set out to determine whether their business would survive a severe disaster such as a bomb attack or a fire. Of those surveyed 37% said their organisation had a continuity plan in place to ensure 80-100% business recovery in 12 months, 43% said they have a reasonable plan in place that would ensure 60-80% business recovery in the same time period, while the remaining 20% have an unsatisfactory plan.

People

The government has outlined proposals to give men up to six months’ paternity leave. The consultation sets out proposals that will give fathers the opportunity to take up to 26 weeks leave to care for their child if the mother wants to return to work. This could mean that for the first time parents will have the flexibility to divide the paid leave between them. Launching the scheme, employment relations minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "If a mother wants to return to work before her child's first birthday, the father will be able to take some, or all, of the second half or the child's first year as paid paternity leave".

The consultation can be found on

Legal

The government is to make businesses pay interest or other cash to workers they have underpaid on top of repaying wage arrears if the proposals in a DTI consultation are adopted. The initiative is targeted at employers that pay below the minimum wage. Other options being considered by Trade and Industry secretary Alistair Darling include fixed penalty fines linked to the number of workers underpaid.

He said: "Paying less than the minimum wage isn't only unfair on the workers, it is unfair on the vast majority of employers who obey the law, because it lets rogue businesses undercut them".

The minimum wage, currently £5.35 an hour, rises to £5.52 in October.