Applied on a Sunday night, received a call Monday afternoon, was in for an interview by Thursday. Very prompt based on the position they were seeking to fill. I received a call the following Monday with an offer. Based on the total compensation package compared to a competing employer, I respectfully countered and provided a summary of +/-'s, and how I arrived at that counter. Now from Day 1, the recruiter (Matt in Cleveland, OH), was very personable and easy to deal with. However he did not take to my counter in a professional manner. He started by providing his analysis of my personal life and prior work situation, followed by explaining that he has "his pick of the crop, and that he has the upper hand in this negotiation". I gave the final number I would be willing to accept the position for, he stated "I doubt I will be able to get that, but will let you know". Everything from that point was abrupt, I received a call shortly after with an in-between counter, and declined. Matt could have taken the high road, but finished off the conversation by letting me know that I must be okay with burning bridges.
To Management: it is very important to make sure that you select positive people to be the face of your company. In any other scenario, I would have probably accepted the final offer, however, I would not have even accepted my requested amount had he come back to it, based on his demeanor. It might be beneficial to put Matt through a rotation in Claims so he can learn proper negotiation techniques, and how to not take something so simple in a personal manner. At the end of the day, the company DOES have its pick of the crop, but you do NOT have your pick of top talent. The managers that I met with in the interview were great, however, and that still gives me some hope that it could be a decent place to work.
