Counter Offers, Accept or Reject?

When you hand in your resignation, your employer might ask what they can do to change your mind. They might make you a counter offer, even if you’ve accepted employment elsewhere. Focus on the reason you decided to leave your current job before making a decision. It is important when considering a counter offer that you always keep in mind what your reasons were for pursing a job with another company in the first place. Putting salary aside for a moment the new position could offer:

• Better benefits
• Flexible working hours
• Opportunity to travel on an International basis
• Greater opportunities for career development
• More interesting work
• Opportunity to acquire new skills thru training or hands on experience

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to leave your current employer it is crucial that you remember what those reasons are and think rationally about what is best for you as an individual, and ask yourself this, “why did it take your resignation for your current employer to appreciate your value to the company?”. The counter offer might match or even exceed the pay at the new job. If that’s the main reason you’re quitting, consider accepting the counter offer to stay. If the reason you are leaving involves more than salary, you’ll probably still want to resign. The bottom line be prepared for the possibility of a counter offer, even if it doesn’t come, it’s good to be prepared.