How to manage a counter-offer?
That’s it, you announce your resignation to your boss. He looks at you, curious about the reasons for your departure, and asks you to give him a day to return with an irresistible counteroffer while promising to resolve everything that made you look elsewhere. Now what to do? Is it more advantageous to accept or refuse this proposal?
This situation raises several entirely legitimate questions. As you probably already know, accepting a counteroffer is rarely the best option. Let’s put things into perspective!
Take the time to understand your employer’s motivations behind the counteroffer
There is a good chance that your manager appreciates the way you work because you bring real added value to the company. For him or her, making a promise to accommodate you can often seem like the best option for several reasons. From the employer’s point of view, it may be advantageous to improve your current salary. Convincing you to stay in your job would avoid a potentially costly recruitment process, not to mention the onboarding of the new employee, training/learning curve of a new addition, etc. Your manager may even be afraid of losing his own job as this may stain his reputation as a “good” manager.
The snowball effect is also of concern to an employer. The departure of a leader, whether formal or informal, can encourage other members of the team to leave their current job. Furthermore, in the case of leaving in the middle of a project, this action can prove fatal for the project in question or, at least, can lead to cost overruns, schedule overruns, etc. Now let’s be honest: there will always be projects. It is therefore in your best interest to collaborate as much as possible with your employer to minimize the collateral damage that your resignation will cause.
Why shouldn’t you consider a counteroffer?
Check out the seven reasons why you should never accept a counteroffer:
👉🏽 Risk of subsequent layoffs: If the company is in a restructuring or layoff phase, you will likely be first on the list. Your employer will remember that you were ready to leave, so it will be your turn. On the other hand, some employers use the counteroffer only to buy time to find a better replacement by subsequently firing you.
👉🏽 Limited evolution: When a member of your team is promoted, the chances will be slim that the promotion will be yours… It is completely normal to promote the most loyal and fulfilled employees.
👉🏽 Lack of confidence: Your employer now knows that you are not necessarily happy within the company. He therefore risks constantly questioning you personally.
👉🏽 Budget temporarily moved forward: But where does the money for this counteroffer come from? Is it the money that would have been paid to you for your next salary increase or the next bonuses that you will no longer have or not as much?
👉🏽 Bad company culture: Is this really the work environment you want? A place where threats are the only way to progress?
👉🏽 Questionable motivation: Why didn’t they pay you this amount before? Chances are they probably doubted you were worth it. This does not guarantee a long-term commitment to your career.
👉🏽 False magical promises:Accepting a counteroffer does not guarantee that the issues that prompted your resignation will be magically resolved. Promises of salary, benefits, or increased responsibilities may only be temporary. Instead, keep in mind all the reasons why you went to interview elsewhere.
Did you know that statistically speaking (according to the Wall Street Journal), you have a 90% chance of leaving your job in the next 12 months due to the same sources of dissatisfaction? Is it really in these circumstances that you want to take the risk of continuing your current job?
Make an informed decision 😉 Please know that if you are an IT candidate in a DELAN process with one of our clients, we will be happy to support you in this reflection. Discuss the subject confidently with your recruiter.
Good luck!
