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Step Away From The Counteroffer – September 1, 2004 ~ by David Nesbitt, CPC Keystone Recruiters and most any recruiter with a successful career, goes to great lengths to educate and prepare each candidate to make wise and beneficial decisions. In the case of accepting the dreaded counteroffer, most any seasoned executive can tell you all about the pitfalls. Many consider it to be nothing short of career suicide, and yet it still happens every day. In today’s job market, counteroffers are growing more prevalent and remain just as risky as they’ve ever been. You may think you’re not susceptible – but what if the counteroffer comes back three times greater than the offer you have just accepted? It may sound farfetched but it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. Counteroffers are almost always made in a flattering manner, and really the offer itself is flattering regardless of how it’s made. Counteroffers typically include more money and/or a promotion, a modified work structure, elaborate praise, and even the occasional guilt trip. Most candidates say the counteroffer shocked them - they never saw it coming. And they always say it made them feel very wanted and high in demand. Before you make the mistake of confusing want with need, ask yourself these questions: * Is your counteroffer really just your next promotion arriving early? * If so, to what extent will it delay your next promotion or raise? * Will they keep you long enough to even see your next review? * If your raise is based on your merit why did you have to quit to receive it? * Will you have to quit again to receive your next raise? * Most importantly, do you want a career or a job? If you stop and think about the ramifications of your resignation, the ripple effects are substantial and costly. The time it takes to replace you alone, equates to a huge cost. Throw in recruitment costs, possible relocation costs and all of the sudden the demand to keep you explodes. In addition to the cost category there’s the risk category - factor in unpredictability of ramp-up time for your replacement, the possibility of the new hire not making a good fit with the team, and the list goes on. Consider the reflection your departure will have on your boss. Most upper level executives are heavily judged by their ability retain a well performing staff. Your boss has every reason in the world to try and keep you. So, in the event you don’t receive a counteroffer, give your boss some credit. It very well may be because you are respected and your reasoning is understood. While there are endless tips and suggestions to combat counteroffers, the best thing you can do is step away from the situation. From a clear vantage point, you can retrace the process utilized to make your decision to resign in the first place. This exercise will greatly bolster your original thinking and conclusion. Given the magnitude of the decision, your conclusion to take the new opportunity was likely a sound one. But to be sure, consider all the what-ifs. Consider the moral ramifications. For starters, how comfortable are you with rescinding an offer? Think through the impact that staying in your current work place will have on your reputation. From a loyalty standpoint, do you really think you’ll be seen as a team player? Last but not least, what does the counteroffer say about your company and your future there? Don’t be blinded by the flattery. A respectful employer should want what is best for you and your family. If your employer believes you are capable of making sound business decisions they will not second guess you, they will honor you and the choices you make. |