- Employees who accept Counter Offers may find themselves passed over for advancement.
Counter Offers Should Not Be Taken 98% of the Time
Counter Offers, if offered and subsequently accepted, can easily be devastating to an individual’s long term career. A Counter Offer is basically a ploy to persuade an individual to remain with his/her present employer after that individual has informed that employer that they intend to accept a position with another company. Over the years, our research and personal interviews with both companies and individuals have led us to one basic conclusion:
One should never take a Counter Offer.
We do concede that there are always exceptions to any rule and that it is a possibility that an accepted Counter Offer could actually be good for one’s career. But…these are very, very rare situations.
Food for Thought: Why Not Take a Counter Offer?
- Why did you go looking for another job in the first place? If it was because of money, will you have to threaten to quit your current employer every time you legitimately deserve a raise? More than likely, your reasoning was sound in deciding to consider a change in the first place.
- Could your employer just be trying to delay the inevitable? That way, they have more time to look for your replacement. Remember, an employee either saves or makes a company money and if you are a valuable employee, it will cost the company more money in the short term and possibly long term, if you unexpectedly leave them.
- You are now a “marked” person. If a company is looking to promote someone with a group, who with they be more likely to promote first, a total company person or someone who they feel may decide to leave them again in the near future? Companies must gamble on many necessary things everyday, however, they will promote the almost “sure-thing” versus taking a gamble on a “marked” employee.
- You were interested in leaving, what has changed that will continue to make you happy if you stay? Will some short term money remove the reasons?
- Companies will feel threatened by someone who threatens to leave if he/she doesn’t receive more money. Companies may feel “Blackmailed” and that you might just threaten to leave every time something doesn’t go your way.
- Your boss may take it as a personal insult. It makes a boss look bad when their employees want to leave. If your boss has to give you money to stay, he’ll be wondering if word will get out and then all of his subordinates will want more money also. Your boss may even be thinking that if you can give you enough money to stay until they can find your replacement. If it is just a bad time and/or a busy time for you to leave, your boss may be thinking of just getting through a tough period of time. After that period has passed, your career could then be dead working under that specific boss.