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Ask HN: Is it typical for recruiters to ask these questions after acquisition?

4 points by cddotdotslash ↗ HN
I worked for a startup that was acquired by a larger company which I've continued to work for. Just as I had previously, I receive 10 - 20 emails a week from recruiters, but it seems that the tone has shifted in a number of these emails. Now, about ten percent of these messages read like this:

"Hey, I noticed you're working for [parent company] now. What kind of package are they giving you to stick around? Do the stock options vest soon? How many did you manage to get?"

Besides the fact that this seems like a very unprofessional way to begin a message to someone, it also seems rather personal and almost accusatory as if the only reason I'm working at a company is stock options.

Is this typical recruiter behavior or have I just hit a bad group?

4 comments

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csmajorfive
Yes, this is typical. Recruiters pounce on folks who just went through an acquisition to see if they're thinking about making a move. One strategy is to make you feel like your acquisition package isn't all that great.
6d0debc071
Fairly typical, I tend to respond something like:

"Hi [Name],

I find it's usually better to focus on what value we can offer each other early in a relationship. If you'd like to set up a meeting to discuss this, you can reach me on XXXXX-XXXXXX.

Kind regards, [My name]"

ziles88
I agree with the others, pretty common, even if you're not a company that's been acquired. I noticed most of them went away once I removed myself from my companies profile on Linkedin. They will typically try to downplay your pay/benefits. I had several just tell me I'm wasting my potential by living in the NorthEast as opposed to California.

I usually respond to such nonsense by countering with some huge number. I figure it's better than ignoring it as one day they might take the bait and I can cash in.

chollida1
Yes it's fairly common and make sense if you think about recruiters as people who use knowledge as a form of arbitrage.

Just like a real estate agent, part of what a recruiter brings to the table is their knowledge of what ever corner of the market they specialize in.

Most of the high end recruiters specialize in a particular industry and therefore know it really well. In tech the particulars are around pay, salary, options etc. In finance its based around how bonuses are paid out.

That makes their job easier as they know what they'll have to pay to pull someone out of a company. They'll also know when an employee's acquisition bonus is fully earned so they know when to start calling on people.