Why you shouldn’t be wooed with a counter offer?

This can sometimes happen in recruitment and has previously happened to one of our consultants.

After spending time understanding what the candidate was looking for in their future role, the consultant landed the candidate with an interview in what seemed like their dream company. Better money, flexibility, career development and even lunchtime beers on a Friday.

An employment offered followed shortly, so the consultant was completely gob-smacked to get a call from the candidate after they had been offered the contract of their dream, to advise they weren’t sure if they should accept the job offer or whether they should stay in their current role.

The consultant had warned the candidate about the counter offer, which would come, once the employer found out he had planned to leave. The carrot dangling commenced from his current employer by offering more money and more holidays.

Here are my top tips why not to accept a counter offer

• So they offer you more money now because you are worth it, but why didn’t they pay you that before?

• Where did this extra cash come from and why weren’t you given a pay rise last year if they had spare money from the pot?

• Remember why you wanted to leave? Will the money really change what you disliked about working there? Can it make the people nicer or your commute more manageable?

• At least 80% of people still leave within six months after accepting the counter offer so rather than miss an opportunity, leave while you can and with a good reference.

• Your current employer now understands why you suddenly had adhoc holidays and lunch meetings but can they ever trust you or your loyalty again?

• If you accept a counter offer, is your salary now too inflated? Can the business substantiate your pay increase and to what cost to others?

• If your team hear about your new salary will this cause issues in the workplace or will that make them feel undervalued?

• We’ve all heard of short-term gain, which is why you should look at the bigger picture and why you decided you wanted to leave.

• So will this extra salary be worth it as with extra money usually comes, more responsibility, pressure, demands, expectations and you will now be closely watched!

• Money should never be the motivator alone.

The fact is you should never be swayed by what may look like a great counter offer. You must think hard about your reasons for leaving your current role and what you were looking for when you decided you wanted a new job. Think about your life, your work-life balance and why you came to the decision to move jobs. A short-term fix will never be as good as a long-term offer.

Something new could be just the excitement you needed in your career.

Happy Hunting…