In the instance of a counteroffer, the recruiter is financially motivated for the person to accept the new job (and decline the counter), regardless of whether

In the instance of a counteroffer, the recruiter is financially motivated for the person to accept the new job (and decline the counter), regardless of whether or not accepting the counter is a better move for the person. That is one of the most obvious flaws in the way the recruiting business operates, in that there are instances where the job seeker's interests may not align with the recruiter. A couple years ago I posted an article here about an agent system where job seekers were the recruiter's real client (and footing the bills), which would resolve this particular instance of misaligned incentives.