Saying no to a counter offer

If you’ve ever had to resign from a job, you’ll completely understand the amount of anxiety, nerves and psyching up which goes into approaching the resignation meeting. All too often I’ve had candidates walk into said meeting feeling confident and resolute in their decision, only for them to call me immediately after to advise they’ve decided to stay in their current job.
When I’m told of this outcome, I intrinsically know their resignation has been met with a counteroffer and I know with full certainty they have made the wrong decision.
Although I may not completely understand their history with this company, in my years of experience I am yet to see a time where accepting the counteroffer has been a great long-term decision and here’s why:

What happened to your reasons for leaving?

Reaching the decision to resign is not one which happens lightly. Considerable soul-searching will have gone into it and, if it has been handled correctly there would have been conversations with your manager prior to this point to discuss your situation. While salary may have been a significant one of your reasons for leaving, its increase is never enough to magically overcome all the other issues. Don’t lose sight of what brought you to this stage and maintain your resolve.

It’s just a band-aid

I’m not going to deny that an increased salary is very appealing but, will it be enough to sustain you in this job for the long-term? Similar to my point above, you need to seriously consider if you’ll get sufficient career development and satisfaction to keep you happy. Unfortunately, when an employer throws a counteroffer at an employee intending to leave, it’s rarely because they’ve miraculously identified what an excellent employee they are. More often it’s that they’ve realised the inconvenience which will be caused when they leave and are looking for a quick and easy solution.

A different bridge is being burned.

Obviously I agree that you need to resign in a respectful manner, ensuring you maintain a good relationship with your current employer. However, if you’ve walked into your meeting knowing you have a great offer from another company you need to consider the damage you’ll do to that relationship if you decide to stay. Your new employer will have invested considerable time and money into your interview process and to let them down at this stage would not reflect well on you professionally.

You’ve showed your hand.

When you hand in your resignation, you’re making a very clear statement about your loyalty to the company and this will not be forgotten. Next time there’s a promotion available; it’s unlikely you’ll be considered, as your employer will always wonder if you have one foot out the door. Likewise with training opportunities, they may be reluctant to invest in you when they’re unsure how long you’ll stay with them.

As with the end of any relationship, it’s never easy and we always find ourselves wearing slightly rose-tinted glasses as it comes to its conclusion. It’s important to remain resolute in your decision to resign and not get swayed by the extra zeros that may be put in front of you. Because, if you don’t mind the cliché, rather than thinking of this as the end, you’d be much better reminding yourself that this is actually the beginning and who knows what this new adventure may bring!

Shannon Wood, Managing Director S8 Expert Recruitment Solutions. I have over 14 years recruitment experience specialising in the animal health industry across the ANZ region. Areas of expertise include sales and marketing, technical roles (Quality Assurance, Quality Control & Regulatory Affairs) and operational & financial positions. I work extensively in the veterinary, ruminant, monogastric, aquaculture and the pet specialty industries and I look forward to the next 14 years.