Counter offers within the recruitment industry are “at an all time high”, according to Simon Gee, managing director of rec-to-rec firm Heywood Staffing Solutions.

Gee told Recruiter that he knew of several examples where agency recruiters had been offered an increase in excess of 30%. And he added: “We did one that was over 50% of basic salary.”

Heywood Staffing Solutions 2011 survey found that contingent recruiters saw their on-target earnings (OTE) increase by an average of between 10% and 28%, according to sector. OTE within executive search and interim rose by up to 58%. (For more on Heywood’s salary survey, see this week’s issue of Recruiter.)

Meanwhile, research by finance recruiter Marks Sattin reveals that seven of every 20 finance workers in the UK are being counter-offered. This figures compares to just one in eight last year.

Laura Wilson, associate director at Marks Sattin, says: “Counter-offers this year have expanded rapidly and this has led to huge unplanned expenditure for companies. Big employers have been caught out by how quickly the market recovered.

“Keeping hold of employees by making counter offers creates instability within companies, as those who were thinking of staying put begin to realise that they can significantly increase their earnings by looking to leave.”