Counter Offer

Counteroffers are a common retention method, especially in an active job market. Employers frequently make counteroffers in a moment of panic to keep their team intact.  However, once the dust settles, you may find that your relationship with your employer and your standing with the company has fundamentally changed. Your loyalty to the company could come into question and you could find you are at the top of the list if your company needs to make cutbacks in the future.  Additionally, your company might just be buying time to search for your replacement, making the assumption that eventually you’ll begin looking again.

If you’re seriously considering a counteroffer, remind yourself why you were seeking a new opportunity in the first place. Companies notoriously make promises to keep their employees from leaving when put in a bind and very frequently do not live up to those promises.  Additionally, increases in pay now very frequently lead to lower raises in the future because your compensation is out of sync with what other people at your level are making at the company.  You really have to ask yourself why the company waited until you were ready to leave before they were willing to give you some of the things you were looking for. Recent studies show that of those who accept counteroffers, 70 to 80 percent have left within a year.

It is always easier to stay within your comfort zone than to take a chance on what is most likely a much better situation. Don't be motivated by the fear of change. Your best course of action is to turn in your notice and never look back!