When you’re just about to accept a strong job offer from an exciting new company, you may run into an obstacle: Your current place of employment doesn’t want you to leave and is offering you a counteroffer. As many industries struggle to find the qualified candidates they seek, businesses are increasingly fighting to retain key staff members by making counteroffers. However, just because they’re willing to do so doesn’t mean it’s in your best interest, a truth that you should consider if faced with this situation.
Many employers are likely to make counteroffers to valuable employees in an effort to encourage them to stay put, but they may not change much else about your current role (and then you’ll be left with the issue(s) that drove you to leave in the first place).
Often quitting your job can feel like stepping into the unknown. It can be tempting to stick with the status quo, especially if your boss promises to up their game — and possibly your salary — in a counteroffer. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some reasons why counteroffers typically do more harm than good:
A counteroffer is just a temporary solution. Much like a Band-Aid on a severe cut that requires stitches, counteroffers mask the underlying reasons that workers want to leave.
By the offer stage, you’ve likely worked to fix all the issues that were within your control and reasons for leaving. However, there were probably still issues that weren’t fixable and ended up being your dealbreakers.
Bridges may be burned even after accepting an offer. Things can become awkward if you stay at your old company. After all, leadership now knows that you weren’t happy in your current position for one reason or another. Even though they’re signaling that they want to keep you at the company, it could be difficult to make amends in the future and show commitment.
Counteroffers are a clear indication that current staff members aren’t happy in their current roles. As a result, business owners may feel they can’t trust that person quite like they used to, so whatever reasons he or she had for seeking alternative work arrangements may never be addressed due to resentment.
Employers’ hands may be tied. There’s no denying that it feels really good to be wanted, particularly in business settings. Counteroffers show, at least on the surface, that your current employer doesn’t want you to go. While this may be true, it’s important to keep in mind that there may be more to these offers than meets the eye.
For example, hiring new workers drains company resources. There are often high costs to replacing employees who have recently quit. Employers could be just making a counteroffer to simply avoid the cost of turn over.
In sum, there are times when accepting a counteroffer is simply not a good career move. While it may seem enticing to get more money from your employer, it may not solve the issues that inspired you to job hunt in the first place.