It might be tempting to accept a counteroffer, but — there’s a reason (maybe more) you were looking for opportunities outside of your current place of employment. Take your time, don’t lose sight of why you were ready to move on in the first place?
Try to be as objective as possible, the question you want to answer is, does the new job provide a solution to why you are resigning? And does the reason for leaving outweigh any possible resolution offered by your current employer?
Brace yourself! You may be surprised when the counteroffer comes. At this moment emotions and sometimes egos step in, and before you’ve thought things through you make a spontaneous, or pressure-packed decision. Be careful, being on the receiving end of a counteroffer can make it easy to believe it’s all about how great you are, but other factors often go through the mind of the person who is extending the counteroffer. First and foremost there is an expense tied to recruiting and replacing employees. Some of the enticing offers may be enhanced benefits, higher salary, new job title, with the promise of a bright future on the horizon.
Pros
1. The counter offers more money than the new job.
2. The cause of your dissatisfaction was resolved.
3. Accepting the counteroffer eliminates any concerns that the new position might not work out.
Cons
1. Your honesty could be held against you.
2. Your employer could be strategizing to replace you without your knowledge.
3. You change your mind about taking the job offer.
4. Your relationship with your employer becomes tarnished because they believe you will continue job hunting.
5. You give the appearance of being a pushover by taking the counteroffer.
6. Your next raise could be pushed out a year or two because of the counteroffer.
7. You may start to resent that you only got a salary increase/perks because you were leaving.
8. The problem that prompted your job search rears its ugly head again.
9. Your employer now knows you are not happy at work.
10. Statistics show the percent of people who take a counteroffer don’t remain on the job past six months.
Keep in mind, whether you take the counter or not, you’ve made your displeasure regarding your job officially known, and you can’t unring the bell.
The likelihood of business as usual after accepting a counteroffer can at times create a sticky situation. If you’ve committed to staying put, be at 100 percent.
Also, you should evaluate the first three months after accepting the counteroffer. Make sure to assess if the terms discussed as part of your counteroffer are in play. If you find that something is not, it is on you to communicate that to your boss in a professional and thoughtful way. It’s not enough to say you said this and that’s not happening. Make sure to have something tangible and concrete. In the end, if your boss has made a counteroffer it’s because he or she values what you bring to the organization and want it to be a win for everyone involved.
