4 Reasons Not To Take That Counter-Offer

When I was in Tokyo a few years back, I had placed a candidate with a company he was excited to join. He even went to his new employer's Bounenkai (a year end celebration hosted by a company) to bond with his future colleagues. All he had to do was resign from his old job. Now here's the weird part: His employer didn't accept it. How does that happen? Here's how: By laying on the guilt so thick (How could he betray them?) along with a quick-fix counter-offer. They basically immobilized him from moving forward with his decision to leave and join a new company. Despite our lengthy efforts to prevent all this from happening during the whole process, it didn't work out in the end. My candidate was manipulated into rejecting his own decision. He said he wanted to leave, but he couldn't. We all learned a good lesson here.

So what DO you do when you've reached that point? You're ready to move on from your job for various reasons, are successful with a job search and land a challenging job with an interesting, up-and-coming company at a better compensation package to boot.

Great! You say you're committed and take the offer. Now all you have to do is give notice at your current job. A curveball is thrown at you - you've built up all this resentment about your job you didn't see it coming - a counteroffer. Your boss lays on the guilt, promises to make things better and gives you a 10% increase, which is just above the offer you accepted with another company. What do you do? Wouldn't it be easier to just stay? No hassles of a disruption in your life, no changes - just a bigger paycheck?

Why you shouldn't take a counteroffer:

1. This is the most important reason - and the one you should always consider: You've given your word to your new employer by accepting the offer. The right thing to do is always to uphold your word. Look at it the other way around. If you were given a job offer, and the employer decided to rescind it and give it to an employee who's decided to stay on - how would you feel? Angry and litigious, no doubt.
2. If that alone doesn't get you, then remember why you wanted to leave in the first place. Was it just the salary? What were the other things that made you feel like it was ready to move on? Chances are, those things won't change that much after you take the counter-offer. You may get something out of it, a title change or a raise, but remember your priorities and the big picture of why you wanted to leave.  Recruiters used to quote "statistics" that show that if you accept a counter offer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let go within one year is extremely high. Personally, I doubt these actual statistics exist. But I think it is an excuse Recruiters can give to try and convince someone out of taking the offer. But there is always a little truth in this kind of claim. Why? Because the counter-offer is often just a quick fix comprised of extra money and promises. It won't address all the real issues you have. The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future.
3. Why did it have to come to this point in the first place? What kind of company do you want to work for if you have to threaten to resign before you are given what you are worth?
4. Your employer now knows that you are unhappy. From this day on, you may be seen in a different light and your loyalty may be in question.

What happened to my candidate in Tokyo was a difficult and uncomfortable situation. But always remember that YOU are the one in control - not your current employer, not your potential employer, not your recruiter. The decision is always up to YOU based on what your priorities, goals and values are. Keep the bigger picture in mind.

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Comments

[Andrew Garrett]

I had a very short term team-member a month or so ago - he was here for about 5 weeks. One week of work, 4 weeks of notice.

A week after starting the job, he accepted a new position at a higher rate.

While I understood why he did that, I don't think it's something I'd do - if I agree to take on a job, it's an agreement - I owe it to my new employer to stick around and give it a go for 'a decent period'. It's a pity that not everyone feels the same way...

[Steven Kempton]

Your previous coworker might feel they have won out, but I can't understand that kind of move. They must have accepted the job at a much lower salary to bother moving again so soon. And also couldn't possibly have much idea about what they REALLY wanted in a job. That basically points to them being pretty average decision maker anyway, so perhaps your business was lucky. You probably would have had issues with them eventually if you take that action as a reflection of their thought processes.