Accepting a counter offer

[lholhos]

I'm in a process of resigning, might be handing in my notice tomorrow. A thought of being offered a counter offer crossed my mind. Say I get on,should I take it? I need more money, career growth, appreciation on the job I do...my current company doesn't really offer these. Why do most people when offered a counter offer don't take it?

If I take the offer, doesn't this tell my employer that I am in for the money(which is true for most cases) and I'm not loyal and probably would leave in a short space of time...

[abzo]

It's a trap.

[lholhos]

I know one guy who actually benefited on counter offers..3 counter offers in 5yrs...but He's in a different Department though, and He is a System administrator...

[ServB]

who cares, take the loot and run!

[lholhos]

who cares, take the loot and run!

I like.

[Aqua_lung]

You'll get burned... or not.. it's a risk.

[Ol' Mean Bastid]

By the time people get to the point of resigning they have already made the emotional separation from the company for whatever reason has caused the dissatisfaction, accepting a counter offer generally doesn't fix the underlying problem which is often related to organisation culture and management. Research has shown that over 80% of employees that accept counter offers still leave the company within the following 12 months.

[lholhos]

You'll get burned... or not.. it's a risk.

Get burnt for taking it?

[Aqua_lung]

Get burned for taking it?

You might get a bad reference. Attitude in the work place could change towards you.

[lholhos]

By the time people get to the point of resigning they have already made the emotional separation from the company for whatever reason has caused the dissatisfaction, accepting a counter offer generally doesn't fix the underlying problem which is often related to organisation culture and management. Research has shown that over 80% of employees that accept counter offers still leave the company within the following 12 months.

This is also the reason why most companies don't even bother with counter offers, because I have seen coworkers leaving and none of them was offered a counter offer, also they had a lot of experience that me, I'm talking 7,10,15yrs of experience. I only have 4yrs

[ebendl]

Counter offers by definition says the company is willing to pay you more, but only if you "threaten" to leave them. This in turns mean that they were too cheap to pay you that amount in the first place.

Also, what Ol' Mean Bastid said.

The jobs I left never offered me a counter offer, and the one boss actually told me this directly ("we won't insult you by making a counter offer, as that says that we could have just paid you more from the start").

[ave]

have you got somewhere else to go yet?

[reactor_sa]

It's a bad idea.
In my division they don't do counter offers because if you got an offer elsewhere it means you want to leave anyway so you should not waste any ones time and just go.

[AppleZa]

It's not a bad thing to accept a counter offer but i do think it's "temporary fix" to the problem.

This is what i would do - If there is an counter offer find out will it be a promotion? or just a salary increase. If it's worth it then i would stay and at the same time look for another job opportunity in the mean time. Just make sure with counter offers you do not sign a extended contract.

My 2 cents.

[Cius]

Personally the idea does not seem like a good one to me but I have seen it work. My boss is BEE and is extremely good at what he does (the polar opposite of a token) so he is head hunted a lot by other investment banks. A while back ABSA Capital was throwing around big money trying to get guys like him and they offered him an amount he could not say no to. He accepted and the place he was at counter-offered and he stayed. His boss recently left and now he is acting head of our department and looks set to get the promotion permanently as he is really that good. So I would say that if you are only leaving for money and are otherwise happy then counter-offers are fine. If you are unhappy in your work then don't accept it, just go. As always leave politely and spin whatever yarn you have to to not burn any bridges. I have been astonished in my 7 years in the workplace to see how many people left here only to return down the line.

Personally if I knew I was being underpaid for my qualification and experience but I was otherwise happy where I was I would first try to negotiate a higher salary. Failing that I would look around and get offers elsewhere. If the offers where 10%+ on what I was currently earning I would show my boss and say look I need the money, I'd love to stay, but really can't say no to an offer like this and leave the ball in his court. If the boss is mature about it he will make a call on either paying you more and keeping you or letting you go. Either way never ever make the mistake of being too loyal to a company. Companies can replace just about anyone and if you died today they would be sad today and move on tomorrow. I was once mistakenly loyal to an employer (the guy who gave me my first proper job) and it was a mistake. Seriously, work hard and be honest but don't think you owe a company anything. They pay you, you work for them, there is no owing anything unless you sign a document saying you do (for instance if they pay for studies and you have to work it back by sticking around for X years).

Life is too short to not be adequately rewarded for your skills and labour and definitely too short to work somewhere where you are abused or are seriously unhappy.