I managed to convince top notch engineers to accept my offer

Problem

I was trying to hire a group of three rockstar engineers, all coming from the same start-up, which had failed. They were hesitating, trying to decide between our offer and another one. I was in charge of handling this negotiation. This was tricky, especially because the conditions offered by the other company were on paper more compelling .

Actions taken

I tried to leverage different aspects to negotiate. First, I pointed out that the role they would have would be extremely challenging and would have a big impact. their professional growth would be better at Uber. Second, I convinced them that if they accepted our offer, the value of their stock would be worth more than in the other company, and justified my point with a lot of data. Thirdly, I put them in contact with other people at Uber who had faced a similar situation. Lastly, I tried to show them that we really cared about their well-being by looking for some positions for their significant others. This was one of the tougher negotiations I have done in a while. But the best part is that they accepted our offer.

Lessons learned

I realized that if you really want to hire someone, the best way is to think comprehensively about their concerns. I spent a lot of time listening to their concerns and family situations before they accepted! To a broader extent, when you have a salary negotiation and you can't give the person the amount they want, you should think about other ways to show them that you, and the company, really cares about their wellbeing.