Almost all available literature shows
that accepting a counter-offer is typically a bad move. Reprinted below
are two articles written by industry experts.
Career Know-How
How to Handle Counter Offers
by Brian Moore
If you are a valuable resource, then your boss and your company won’t
want to see you walk out the door, especially to the competition. They
will make every attempt to convince you to stay, either by:
- Making you a counter offer
- Making you feel incredibly guilty and disloyal
- ‘Loving’ you liked they’ve never ‘loved’ you before – be suspicious of this
Being made an attractive counter offer is instantly good for your ego,
but you must take a number of things into consideration before saying
“thanks” or “no thanks”:
- You have only received a counter offer because you resigned. It is a
purely reactive tactic from your employer and should make you wonder
whether you need to resign every time you want to improve your situation.
If your employer thought you were truly worthy, why didn’t they improve
your situation anyway?
- Do your reasons for wanting to leave still exist? You may have a number
of reasons – salary too low, no promotion in sight, don’t like your boss.
You may be offered more money to stay, which can be tempting, but if
you still have other issues outstanding, you’ll probably end up leaving
anyway.
- Despite what your employer is saying to you, they will probably now
consider you a risk and may make contingency plans without your knowledge.
You may not be seen as a true member of the team.
- The counter offer could simply be an interim tactic from your employer
to bridge a gap whilst they look to replace you.
Much research and many surveys have been completed over the years to
measure what happens to employees who accept counter offers. Only 6
out of 100 employees are still with their company after 12 months,
and 2 important points become apparent:
- Salary was hardly ever the prime motivator for resigning – more money
didn’t ultimately change the true state of play
- Things didn’t take long to return to the way they were before the
resignation
Before accepting a counter offer, ask yourself why your employer has
made the offer. There is a strong possibility that the cons will
outweigh the pros and you will realize that your decision to resign
was right after all.
Counteroffer Acceptance:
Road to Career Ruin
Reprinted from the National Business Employment Weekly
A raise won't permanently cushion thorns in the nest
By Paul Hawkinson
Mathew Henry, the 17-th century writer said, "Many a dangerous
temptation comes to us in fine gay colours that are but skin
deep." The same can be said for counteroffers, those magnetic
enticements designed to lure you back into the nest after you've
decided it's time to fly away.
The litany of horror stories I have come across in my years as
an executive recruiter, consultant and publisher, provides a
litmus test that clearly indicates counteroffers should never
be accepted . . . EVER!
I define a counteroffer simply as an inducement from your
current employer to get you to stay after you've announced
your intention to take another job. We're not talking about
those instances when you receive an offer but don't tell
your boss. Nor are we discussing offers that you never
intended to take, yet tell your employer about anyway as
a "they-want-me-but-I'm-staying-with-you" ploy.
These are merely astute positioning tactics you may choose
to use to reinforce your worth by letting your boss know
you have other options. Mention of a true counteroffer,
however, carries an actual threat to quit.
Interviews with employers who make counteroffers, and
employees who accept them, have shown that as tempting
as they may be, acceptance may cause career suicide.
During the past 20 years, I have seen only isolated
incidents in which an accepted counteroffer has benefited
the employee. Consider the problem in its proper perspective.
What really goes through a boss's mind when someone quits?
*"This couldn't be happening at a worse time."
*"This is one of my best people. If I let him quit now,
it'll wreak havoc on the morale of the department."
*"I've already got one opening in my department. I don't
need another right now."
*"This will probably screw up the entire vacation schedule."
*"I'm working as hard as I can, and I don't need to do
his work, too."
*"If I lose another good employee, the company might
decide to 'lose' me too."
*"My review is coming up and this will make me look bad."
*"Maybe I can keep him on until I find a suitable replacement."
What will the boss say to keep you in the nest? Some of
these comments are common:
*"I'm really shocked. I thought you were as happy with us
as we are with you. Let's discuss it before you make your
final decision."
*"Aw gee, I've been meaning to tell you about the great
plans we have for you, but it's been confidential until now."
*"The V.P. has you in mind for some exciting and expanding
responsibilities."
*"Your raise was scheduled to go into effect next quarter,
but we'll make it effective immediately."
*"You're going to work for who?"
Let's face it. When someone quits, it's a direct reflection
on the boss. Unless you're really incompetent or a destructive
thorn in his side, the boss might look bad by "allowing" you
to go. His gut reaction is to do what has to be done to keep
you from leaving until he's ready. That's human nature.
Unfortunately, it's also human nature to want to stay unless
your work life is abject misery. Career changes, like all
ventures into the unknown, is tough. That's why bosses know
they can usually keep you around by pressing the right buttons.
Before you succumb to a tempting counteroffer, consider
these universal truths:
*Any situation in which an employee is forced to get an
outside offer before the present employer will suggest a
raise, promotion or better working conditions, is suspect.
*No matter what the company says when making its counteroffer,
you will always be considered a fidelity risk. Having once
demonstrated your lack of loyalty (for whatever reason), you
will lose your status as a "team player" and your place in
the inner circle.
*Counteroffers are usually nothing more than stall devices
to give your employer time to replace you.
*Your reasons for wanting to leave still exist. Conditions
are just made a bit more tolerable in the short term because
of the raise, promotion or promises made to keep you.
*Counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit.
Will you have to solicit an offer and threaten to quit every
time you deserve better working conditions?
*Decent and well-managed companies don't make counteroffers . . . EVER!
Their policies are fair and equitable. They will not be
subjected to "counteroffer coercion" or what they perceive as blackmail.
If the urge to accept a counteroffer hits you, keep on
cleaning out your desk as you count your blessings.
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