Blog

The Conflict of the Counter Offer

• March 15, 2022

There are so many reasons a person may have for looking for a new job.

Feeling stuck.

Wanting a new challenge.

Money.

Boredom.

Toxic workplace.

There are many more with much more specific reasons that depend entirely on the individual.

Only 50% of people accept counter offers in the first place.

So, let’s say you have been through the whole job searching process and have been successful. You now have a shiny new job waiting for you if you accept it, only now your work may offer you a raise in order to keep you from going to one of their competitors.

What do you do?

This is a hard one. Humans tend to be stuck in their ways and so this offer will likely be very tempting. A counter offer can also be very flattering, to have your company literally fighting to keep you on their team.

I would recommend you do not go with it though.

Yes it is tempting to stay with what you know. You don’t need to be the newbie, you already have relationships within the office, you are getting a pay rise, you know exactly what you need to do.

Even though this is all true, there was a reason you wanted to leave in the first place.

Most of these reasons will not magically be gone just because you got a pay rise.

Statistically it is unlikely that you will be looking to resign with motivations just stemming from money - only 12% of employees resign as a direct result of money.

Also if your only issue was the pay rise - what are you going to do next time you need a raise? Your company likely won’t do it on their own accord so are you going to go through this process again just to force your company into increasing your pay again?

Companies that only give raises when forced are not companies you want to stay with, they do not value your input into the company otherwise they would pay you what you deserve.

According to findings, 80% of people who agree to these counter offers from their companies end up leaving after 6 months and then an even more astounding 90% will leave within 12 months.

This just goes to show, it is about more than the money.

Convenience can seem very appealing but there are a plethora of reasons that would have led to you obtaining a job offer and these are not fixed so easily as earning more every month.

Ultimately the things you experience in an office are what will keep you there and happy in your role.

The promise of this new working life for you, even briefly when contemplating this new job, has made you already begin to imagine a new, more fulfilling life wherein you have none of these existing problems and possibly a better pay too.

With how much mental health is being looked at in the working world recently, it is important you self reflect and find what will truly be right for you to feel content in your work life. You will constantly be thinking about the ‘what ifs’ whenever something bad arises and consequently will be putting yourself in a lower mood and blaming yourself for not following through on your actions.

To go even further with this point, think about how your life would be if you choose to stay. Your boss now knows you were ready to leave previously, this will inevitably affect the way you are treated.

Now your loyalty will not seem so certain, the company will likely be waiting for you to leave again and so you will not be as trusted as you once were. This will then result in slower progression in the company as they will see you as a flight risk who should not be promoted over other more loyal people.

Now that you have a pay rise they may expect more from you. They may see it as you are being paid more so you should be doing more (even if you believe this new pay is reflective of all your hard work).