How do I handle an objection as a recruiter?
Last updated 30 August 2026
Handle an objection in five steps: Welcome, Re-examine, Isolate, Overcome, Close. That sequence is called WRIOC. The core idea: never argue back. Acknowledge first, ask questions second, and solve only once you know the real objection.
Handle an objection in five steps: Welcome, Re-examine, Isolate, Overcome, Close. That sequence is called WRIOC. The core idea: never argue back. Acknowledge first, ask questions second, and solve only once you know the real objection.
The five steps
Welcome. Acknowledge the objection and stand beside the other person. No yes-but. Four words are enough: "I understand what you mean." Then go silent. Someone who feels heard keeps talking.
Re-examine. Ask open questions to look beneath the first objection. The stated objection is rarely the real one. "What happens if this role is still open in three months?" Write down the words the other person uses. You need them later.
Isolate. Test that you have the only objection with a suppose-question. "Suppose I solved X, would you then do Y?" A yes means your solution counts. A no means you go back to Re-examine.
Overcome. Resolve the isolated objection with one concrete proposal, built as a FAB: feature, advantage, benefit. The benefit repeats the words you noted in Re-examine. One solution that hits beats three that circle.
Close. Summarise what was agreed, offer a choice between two options, and confirm a concrete moment. Without a date in the calendar there is no close.
Worked example
A prospect at a logistics scale-up in Utrecht says: "We already work with two agencies." Welcome: "Makes sense, I hear that often." Silence. Re-examine: "What have those two delivered on this role so far?" Answer: three CVs in eight weeks, no interviews. Isolate: "Suppose I bring you two candidates who reach an interview within two weeks, would you add me to this search?" Yes. Overcome: "I pre-screen every candidate on this role myself, so you only meet people who fit. You lose no time on noise." Close: "I send two profiles by Thursday, you give feedback within two working days. Agreed?"
What not to do
- Skip Isolate and jump to a solution. You get objection after objection.
- Fill the silence after Welcome with your first argument.
- Keep talking after the yes. Every extra argument opens a new objection.
The full WRIOC program, with scored practice exercises on real objection scenarios, is in IPMERC.
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