Thinking of Accepting a Counter Offer? Don’t!
On in Blog, Landing a Job, Working with Recruiters.
Making a career change is a nerve-racking experience that not only affects you but also all those around you. For this reason, both recruiting advisors and hiring managers try make this as convenient and easy a transition as possible. If you’re seriously thinking about making a change and you’ve received an offer, make sure you know why you started looking to begin with and the potential consequences of accepting a counter offer. Here are some reasons you might have been looking and why you may want to reconsider accepting that tempting counter offer.
- Career Growth –You have plateaued with your current employer and feel you are not being challenged. Technology is a fast moving machine and most companies are struggling to keep up with the demands and innovations of our modern world. Does your current company have plans to stay abreast? Will your future be impacted because now you’re behind? Sometimes making a change is required in order to take the next step in your career. Why not be a part of something great? Don’t miss out because you’re too tempted to accept more compensation to stay where you are. Complacency is not always the best route.
- Your Strengths – Your strengths are in x and y: this is the ideal role for you. You have positive energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and deep technical skills. With that being said, the role you have been offered is exactly what you’ve told your recruitment advisor you were looking for in multiple discussions about your background. Are you exercising your strengths with your current role or are you just another tiny piece of a large puzzle? Our job is to help you tap your strengths and challenge yourself. Your recruiter is not only going to go to bat for you, but is really doing everything in his/her power to maximize your salary as well as your strengths. Most candidates don’t realize the legwork put in and the countless hours it takes to find a good fit.
- Flexibility – Sometimes current roles require shifts that are a bit unorthodox and candidates become tired, frustrated and burnt out. We are here to listen and help you make the best decision based on your personal circumstances. Whether you are leaving your current role because of the long hours or crazy schedule, or because of other personal matters, know that some companies offer flexibility and some don’t. Evaluate the opportunity knowing you can and will do whatever it takes to get the job done, or don’t take it at all. Many companies are starting to offer remote work as an option, but don’t go in expecting the world. Be willing to work towards your rewards; a positive attitude and hard work will get you further than an attitude of expectation or entitlement.
- Compensation/Benefits – You’ve explained to your recruiter that your company would not react to your leaving with a counter offer. Even so, you were asked about what you would do if your current company did indeed counter with a more attractive compensation plan. You stated that you had your plan and were ready to move on for multiple reasons. The time then came and your current company countered and offered you everything that you wanted. Now what?
- Ask yourself this question: If your current company has the funds and the motive to move forward now, why did they not act upon this sooner rather than wait for you to give notice? Often a company will need you to finish a project, but then the fact that you were disloyal or had looked outside once implies that you may do it again. This will certainly impact your career advancement and future raises. And, more often than not, people who accept counters are very sorry within 6 months. This has been documented by every source from the New York Times to Linkedin. Don’t be that person.
- Bottom Line – Both your recruiter and new company agree that you are an excellent candidate for the new job. Now you need to make the best decision for yourself. Where do you see yourself in the long run? Develop a plan and stick with it. You will save yourself a lot of time, money, and regrets.
Remember, good recruiters are looking out for your best interests because they want to establish a long-term relationship with you such that, when the time comes for you to hire or when you decide to move on, you will want to work with them again.
Jason Vasquez
Recruiter
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