Prepare for the Counter Offer

Making a career move can be intimidating, exhilarating and financially rewarding all together. Moving to a new company can often be necessary to move your career ahead. With today’s high demand to retain top-notch staff, one item many professionals overlook is the counter offer. Often, a company will react to a resignation by doing everything possible to keep the key employee. If you consider a counter offer, it can be very confusing, stressful and emotional. If you choose to accept, it can prove to be major mistake in your career.

As you prepare to resign, consider the following:

Losing key employees reflects poorly on the manager. The timing of a resignation is rarely good. Manager’s don’t have a replacement ready to take your spot in time. The work will fall on the manager and current remaining staff. Expect them to respond to your resignation with emotional statements to get you to reconsider and stay:
“How can you leave us at this time?”
“We’ve been planning on promoting you.”
“Let’s talk more about this before you make a final decision.”
“I was planning on giving you this raise next month.”

Expect emotions to run high not only from your manager, but also co-workers. Resigning can be very stressful and our human nature is to appease others. The easy decision is to stay with an employer that you know and understand. However, the best decision is often to move on to your new career! Before you accept a counteroffer, consider:

-You have shown your manager a lack of loyalty by looking for a new career. Will you be the first to be “ laid off”?
-You may receive an increase now to stay, but why? Because you threatened to quit, or because you earned it.
-Is your new raise simply next year’s expected increase?
-What changes is the manager making? Why did you want to leave in the first place? Often, this key item is never resolved and the employee eventually leaves.

Very rarely have candidates gained in the long-term by accepting a counteroffer. Often times, those who accept the counter offer are either released from their position within a year or resign within 6 months. Prior to looking for a new employer, consider if you would accept a counter offer. If so, perhaps you should discuss your concerns with your manager or not even start looking for a new position. It’s best to think ahead and assume you will be given a counter offer from your current employer. Be prepared for what is best for you and your family.