For some, the ‘job seeking’ process is confronting, challenging and scary. But for others, it’s not the hardest part of changing jobs, it’s the resignation process which fills them with the most dread and fear!
This is most often the case for those:
- who are leaving a team of people who they really like working with
- who have been in their current position for a long period of time
- who know that their resignation will leave the employer or team under staffed or under skilled
If this sounds like you, then for you and many others, no matter how excited about the new role you are, the resignation process is never fun! This can get all the more complicated when the employer is so redescent to see you leave, they counter offer you. A counter offer, simply speaking, is when your existing employer tries to entice you into staying with your current employment, after you have resigned. The aim is simple, they don’t want to lose you from the organisation. Counter offers are sometimes expected, but often come completely out of the blue to the employee. Typically they are based on the offer of more money, but the counter offer can also involve a change in role, promotion, more flexible hours or working conditions or a change in structure. Whether expected or not, the counter offer can be very flattering. It’s human nature that it’s nice to feel wanted and valued by the employer, but have you been valued to this extent before you resigned? Statistics show that approximately 90% of employees who accept a counter offer to stay with their current employer, end up leaving anyway within 12 months.
Here are some keys to dealing with a counter offer:
- Consider whether the offer on the table is purely a knee jerk reaction to the resignation – will your employer be able to follow through with their promises? e.g., they have offered to restructure the team so you don’t have to deal with that manager anymore, but is this practical? Will you end up reporting to them again within a couple of months?
- Reflect on the real reasons you were looking for other work to begin with. If your job search was never about the money, an offer of an extra $5k per annum from your existing employer shouldn’t lure you into staying. You will end up very quickly feeling the same way and seeking alternate work.
- Don’t be pressured into accepting. Because you are still on site with your existing employer, and have only met your ‘new employer’ once or twice, it can be easy to feel pressured by your current boss. You are seeing them every day, which gives them ample opportunity to consistently make their case as to why you should stay.
- Consider what will change if you do stay. Often after accepting a counter offer, the dynamics of the team around you change. Perhaps your colleagues will show resentment towards you because your manager went to so much trouble over keeping you, perhaps you don’t feel the same about the role anymore, perhaps with the new increased salary comes higher expectation of you from management. Either way, it’s quite likely that the dynamics will never be quite the same.
No matter what your decision, to accept a counter offer or not, your decision needs to be weighed up carefully and with a clear mind. Ensure that you are clear about why you were leaving the role to begin with, why you accepted the new role and how the counter offer will change this decision. If you decide to accept the counter offer, relay this to the new employer as quickly as possible, so they can get on with starting the recruitment process over; apologise for wasting their time and explain the situation to them. They are probably not going to be too happy anyway, but if you handle the situation with honesty and professionalism, it will be appreciated. If you decide not to accept the counter offer, be firm with your existing employer, thank them, but explain your reasons for declining and let them know your decision has been made. They may not like to hear it, but this is your career and future, and you need to take control of it.
