Once upon a time, you handed in your notice and looked forward to your leaving party – but
it’s not quite that simple anymore! Today when you resign, you can expect a counter offer
as a matter of course – but BE AWARE! After the initial flattery and extra cash have lost
their appeal, you may still be left feeling exactly as you did when you started looking for your
new job.
A counter offer can be anything from a pay rise to a promotion or additional responsibility
within the company – designed, of course, to convince you to stay.
While this may flatter you or tempt you , and even evoke a sense of loyalty or obligation if
you have worked for the company for a considerable length of time, it might be a good idea
to put yourself in your Employer’s shoes. Unfortunately, they may have ulterior motives in
asking you to stay, rather than making you believe you are invaluable.
For example:
- Your superior may be simply watching his or her own back – resignations can
sometimes reflect badly on the Management - Recruiting can be costly and time consuming
- It may be damaging to existing projects to change staff and it is often time consuming
to train a replacement
The things they’ll say to you:
- “We were just about to give you a pay rise”
- “I didn’t know you were unhappy. Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”
- “What can we do to make things better/to make you stay?”
- “You can’t leave, the team really needs you”
You need to ask yourself: What kind of company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they pay you what you are worth?
You need to stay focused on your decision, and not fall prey to flattery.
Bear in mind ……
- The reason you decided to the leave the Company in the first place, and whether or
not you can seriously see this reason being addressed if you were to stay - The impact your initial resignation had on your superiors and whether you loyalty
may be in question thereafter. - Try to imagine if the Company would show the same loyalty to you if it was the other
way around
Our advice is that counter offers should rarely be accepted. After all, you have a new job to
look forward to, and ultimately, had a motive to look for that job originally. When faced with
a difficult decision of this kind, re-assess what is of paramount importance to you, and your
future, and follow that judgment.
It’s your career after all!
