“My current company won’t counteroffer.”
Think again!
When you get a new role, expect a counteroffer. Counteroffers are prevalent in the industry at the moment but tend to blindside those presented with them.
At the end of the day, you have to do what’s right for you, but don’t forget the reasons you decided to leave – or even look elsewhere – in the first place!
If salary was your motivation…
So you believe you deserve a salary increase. You spoke with managers and it just wasn’t possible.
So you started looking for a new job. You found one and bingo!! It ticks all the boxes – great company, excellent opportunities for exposure/progression, hybrid working, and a higher salary. You hand in your notice and suddenly your manager says they will match the salary (or even give you more) to keep you.
You’re blindsided and flattered. And it’s easier than a move. But let’s drill it down a bit more.
You believe you deserved a salary increase, and evidently so does you the company that just extended you an offer, and now also your current firm. But your current firm was happy to keep you on the same salary until you were leaving. Will you have to go through a full application process and hand in your notice every time you believe you deserve a raise?
There’s also the idea that your firm’s perception of you has changed. Will they remember this down the line when you’re interested in a promotion? Will you be branded as a ‘flight risk’ and someone who is not a team player?
The same can be said for other motivators – progression opportunity, WFH flexibility, more responsibility, long working hours, etc.
A counteroffer may fix things for a while, but you may find yourself in the same position in a year’s time. Except you passed up on a great opportunity and may have burned bridges. And it’s worth noting that it’s often more cost and time-efficient to counteroffer rather than replace.
Furthermore, we asked our network if they were happy they accepted a counteroffer and 59% said no.
The point of this is not to scaremonger, and I firmly believe that the person who knows what’s best for your career is YOU.
I would just advise you to dig deep below the surface and reflect on what actually caused you to look elsewhere. Don’t let the shock of a counteroffer skew your perception of what you want and deserve.
You deserve to be recognised and appreciated all year round, not just when you hand in your notice.
Is there anything else you’d like to know about counter offers? Contact us!
Author: Aoife Bourke
