Should you accept a counter offer?

Many times we make up our minds to leave certain jobs. For certain reasons. And then, the boss presents a whole new offer of employment especially with more money. You’re now at a crossroads as to what to do.

As appealing as a counter offer may seem, they also sting like lime. There is a certain extent of concealed risk in accepting a counter-offer. It is pretty rare to see counter-offers turn out to be really favourable.

Here are some 4 reasons why you shouldn’t accept a counter-offer:

1. You had always wanted to leave

Sometimes, most people think that the greatest thing about a counter-offer is seeing your pay raised or receiving greater perks and receiving greater recoginition about your contributions to the company. However, there may be other factors to consider:

How about plans to relocate as a result of a marriage or perhaps you feel that the current environment would not be the best spot to raise a family. It could also be harassment on the job or even unhappiness with the job itself. The bosses do not appreciate you no matter how much work you put into anything.

As appealing as a counter offer may seem, it is reasonable to put other facts together and have a rethink and reconsider. Think of the new plans that you’ve drafted or the new town where you intended to move to raise your family.

After more time on the job, the reasons why you wanted to leave may arise again and you may end up being frustrated about the whole thing again.

2. Bad employer-employee relationship

Every employer or manager wishes for a long-term work relationship with efficient, productive and reliable staff. Sometimes, they may take you for granted and only realise your worth when you decide to leave. It then hits them that it will take time and stress to get another person to fit your shoes.

Your intention to exit will be received with this panic. And it is within this panic that they would do right about anything to make you stay! They would go to any length to keep you in the company. Give you great offers, say sweet words(praises sometimes work better than cash) and promise huge bonuses.

You may actually get all of these or even more. But know for sure that they would not be the same employers you knew. Now, you’ve become a traitor, a ‘snitch’ and also a threat to the company’s progress.

As a result, they would not look to anything permanent with you anymore.

3. You may get fired very quickly

Well, this one fact could be seen coming already. From the day you express your intent to leave the company, two fundamental ideas had been laid. First, that you were tired of working there. Secondly, that the company’s interests were no longer yours.

However, you accepted a counter-offer which then places you under a now resentful boss who knows that you can leave anytime. And no one ever likes to be beaten to a game. So, what does he do? He immediately starts searching for a replacement for you. and when he does, he quietly but proudly shows you the way out of the office. And most times, this would come so early and without any benefit at all.

Statistics prove strongly that 80% of those who were given counter offer eventually leave the job within six months- either because they got fired or they just decided to leave.

So, you then realized that you’ve lost on both sides. You should have just left when you intended to. Or you never should have considered changing jobs in the first place.

4. You lose other opportunities

More often than not, most employees employ the guise of another offer from another company to get a better one from their present workplace. It may seem a smart move but smart moves can be checkmated too.

The other employer certainly won’t be glad to see that you turned down his own offer. He must have gone through a lot to get you that.

Well, you know how the labour market seems to always get tougher these days. Recruiters will also move to other companies. If you meet them again, it won’t be on a pretty good foot. As they will remember what you did before and tell their colleagues, as they think you will do it again.

Once more, you lose on two ends. You tried making better things out of a job but you end up ruining the chances for a better one.

Though the above reasons are candid and obvious, some of us are still not convinced. Lets see if there are any scenarios when we should accept counter-offers.

There is actually no perfect atmosphere or situation to accept a counter-offer. In fact, there are very few cases in which I’ll propose you do so.

First, you may accept a counter-offer if that was the reason you went for another job. Most times, we tend to sell our needs through indirect means. Therefore, you may go for another interview just to use the offer they give you to enforce a change in your current workplace. In the situation where you get the raise you need, you may as well accept the counter-offer.

The other reason why you should accept a counter offer is very weak. It is based on trust only.

You may accept a counter-offer when you feel that your boss understands the reason you wanted to leave. And understanding is not enough; you must sense some readiness in him to work with you without hate or prejudice.

Getting a raise and sensing trust in your employer can be pretty risky though. It is fallible and can be tricky. It is never a perfect foundation to accept a counter-offer. You can never lie on such to imagine that the company does not have second thoughts. However, if you are so sure that the company will retain you for a long term of service, you can stay.

While staying, be on your toes to be disciplined and keep to your job. That is the only way to keep to your job especially just after the counter-offer. Faltering in your duties can show some sense of intentional negligence. Although this may not be true of you, the company will see it as such.

So, in case you have made up your mind, here are things to do when accepting a counter-offer:

Appreciate your employer for the counter-offer and show them how glad you are to be offered it. Express your intention to accept the counter-offer and Show them some enthusiasm / spirit. Make them see that you really are passionate about the job and not just the pay. Assure them that you still can execute your duties effectively in the department you had always been. Update the other employer that you are not accepting their offer (even as you seal the counter-offer deal). If you went for other interviews, inform them that you just assented to another offer not a counter-offer. This would send the message that you’re not someone to coerce an offer out of your employer. It also will save you from destroying other chances of employment in other prospective companies.

Now, I think it is time to make your decision as to accepting a counter-offer or not. From all clear indications, the advantages of declining a counter-offer far outweigh that of accepting it.

It is pretty much better to put put factor in all possibilities that suit you reasonably. Place your job, family, convenience, relationship and family before the cart, weigh them up and see how much good you can make out of the whole thing.

As much as you can, however, try to keep up with the statistics of the moment and the labour market generally. Look out for your market employability status as at that season of your career. That’s in case you get fired upon accepting the counter-offer.

Instead of using the ruse of getting another job, try to use other means to get a raise on your job before resigning. Be more diplomatic in your approach towards all of that. Watch out for your boss’s countenance before doing so, though. Don’t ask in a tense company situation; a light dinner atmosphere could do just fine.

Also, understand that how long you’ve spent in office will determine how much raise you can ask for. You should also factor in the last time you requested for a raise. Your rapport with your boss will also define how much raise you can ask for.

Note that whenever you want to ask for a raise, secure an appointment to ‘discuss something’ with your boss. You can make the request through a mail or ask orally for some quick time with the boss during the day.

Be brief and concise as to what you what. There is so much more respect attached to such boldness to ask for whatever you need especially if you are deserving of such.

So, know what you can do and what will favour you. The decision is yours to make, but remember to be smart, tactful and professional in your choice as to accepting or declining a counter-offer. Pick wisely but understand that the littlest of all your decisions carries a life-long impact on your career.