Wait! Before You Accept That Counteroffer…

You’ve applied to the job. You aced the interview. You got a great offer and accepted it. When you told your current employer that you were taking another job, they didn’t just wish you good luck – they came back with a great counteroffer. Maybe it’s the promotion you had been angling for, perhaps it’s a considerable raise, maybe it includes additional vacation time. Whatever the offer, it has you reconsidering the job you were about to take.

What should you do? Before you accept, consider these factors:

Why were you looking for a new job?

Even if you were not actively searching, you were willing to entertain an offer from another company. Why? Were there problems at your current job? Did the new job offer a better salary or benefits? If you were actively searching, what prompted you to start looking? Boredom with your current job? Problems with other employees at your organization? Just wondering if the grass is really greener?

Whatever started you down this road, chances are that the issue still exists at your current job. Before you take that counteroffer, you need to think about what it means to accept things the way they are and continue with that status quo. While you may have a fresh outlook for a short while, chances are that your happiness will be short-lived as the original problems that nudged you to look for a new job continue to nag at you.

Your supervisor and coworkers will look at you differently now.

Now that you’ve made it clear you were willing to leave your current job, your team will probably consider you in a new light. Will you be content with what you got in the counteroffer? Or will you still be a flight risk? How this goes depends on your company’s culture, but chances are that your team will wonder if you will try to leave again. This could lead to consequences including not receiving choice projects or promotions due to the fear that you still have one foot out the door. Though circumstances may vary, chances are that your loyalty has come into question since your company knows that you were willing to leave.

You snubbed the other company.

When you came back to the new company and told your contact that you were not going to accept the offer after all, you opened a can of worms. Even a very gracious hiring manager is going to consider you in a new – and not entirely positive – light. Not only have you wasted a considerable amount of time and resources only to change your mind at the last second, but it is generally considered a bad move to accept a counteroffer because of the problems listed above. If you were to apply for a role at the company again, they will certainly take into consideration what happened the last time. That could cost you the job if it came to choosing between you and another strong candidate.

Know what you will do before they counteroffer!

Counteroffers are more common right now due to the aggressive employment market, so be prepared to have that conversation when you give your notice. Your recruiter should discuss with you what to say in order to have things go smoothly. Above all, don’t feel guilty for rejecting a counteroffer. There were reasons for you to heavily consider leaving the job in the first place, so keep those in mind when you weigh the potential benefits with the potential negatives. Be graceful in your response, but it should generally be a firm “no” when it comes to a counteroffer.

Ready to take the next step in your career?

Most importantly, the team at INSPYR Solutions is here to help! Not only will we match you with the right role for your career, but our experienced team of recruiters will help coach you through the process – from interview to possible counteroffer. Get started today.