We tell candidates that they WILL be counter-offered. We tell our clients that most candidates WILL be counter-offered and advise them to have a bit of extra cash stowed away for when the candidate tells you they have been counter-offered. We tell the candidate as soon as they are counter-offered, that they must come directly to us and not hide behind email or WhatsApps. We take the candidate for lunch before they have time to even get or accept a counter-offer. We don’t wait for the counter-offer to happen – it’s a lot tougher to walk away from the recruiter’s offer when there is a personal relationship. We even get our client to be in touch with the candidate to congratulate them personally or send a gift to them once they have accepted the offer. Again, it’s tougher psychologically to decline an accepted role when you see how kind your new employer is.
What I am saying is that there is a lot one can do to prevent counter-offers. It has become a huge problem in the industry as it is also detrimental to the economy by raising the bar of expected salaries.
I found this article below on counter-offers. Please read it before you decide to take a counter-offer. It will save you a lot of pain later on.
Do not accept a counter offer- Here is why:
When you have received an offer of employment which you are inclined to accept, you must consider very carefully whether it really solves your problem and offers you the opportunity you are seeking before you resign from your current employment.
If you choose to accept the offer and to resign from your current employment, you must be prepared to resist powerful, persuasive tactics which your employer can use to get you to change your mind.
It is invariably a costly irritation for employers to recruit your replacement and often they will do everything they can to keep you. They may offer large sums of money or increased benefits, titles and promises for the future. They can also apply strong emotional and psychological pressure. It can be attractive and tempting to accept.
However, once they know you are discontented, they will regard you as a ‘problem employee’.
‘Nationally compiled’ statistics show that nine out of ten people who accept counter-offers have left their employment within six months, either because their employers arrange a replacement in their own time, or because the real reasons for wanting to change your job in the first place, have not gone away.
Twelve Reasons for Not Accepting a Counter-Offer:
- You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your commitment will always be in question.
- When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who is loyal and who isn’t.
- When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutbacks with you.
- When your employer replaces you after six months and ‘lets you go’, it’ll be harder to turn them around than it was for them to turn you around.
- Accepting a counter-offer is an insult to your intelligence. You didn’t know what was best for you.
- Accepting a counter-offer is a blow to your personal pride, knowing you were ‘bought’.
- Accepting a counter-offer rarely changes the factors that drove you to look for a new job in the first place.
- Where is the money for the counter-offer coming from? Is it your next pay rise early?
- Statistics show that if you accept a counter-offer, there is a ninety percent chance you will be out of the job within six months.
- What type of a company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you’re worth?
- Why didn’t they pay you that before? It was because they didn’t think you were worth it.
- Why are they paying it to you now? It’s because it’s easier and cheaper for them to keep you for the time being, while they sort the problem out.
What really goes through a boss’s mind when someone quits?
“This couldn’t be happening at a worse time.”
“He’s one of my best people. If I let him quit now, it’ll wreak havoc on the morale of the department.”
“I’ve already got one opening in my department. I don’t need another right now.”
“This will probably screw up the entire vacation schedule.”
“I’m working as hard as I can and I don’t need to do his work, too.”
“If I lose another good employee, the company might decide to ‘lose’ me too.”
“My review is coming up and this will make me look bad.”
“Maybe I can keep him on until I find a suitable replacement.”
“We’re working with a skeleton crew already. If I lose this one, we’ll all be working around the clock just to stay even.”
What will the boss say to keep you in the nest? These comments are common:
“I’m really shocked. I thought you were as happy with us as we are with you. Let’s discuss it before you make your final decision.”
“Aw gee. I’ve been meaning to tell you about the great plans we have for you, but it’s been confidential until now.”
“The VP has you in mind for some exciting and expanding responsibilities.”
“Your raise was scheduled to go into effect next quarter, but we’ll make it effective immediately.”
“You’re going to work for whom?”
“How can you do this in the middle of a major project? We were really counting on you.” (Just a stall tactic)
Let’s face it. When someone quits, it’s a direct reflection on the boss. Unless you’re really incompetent or a destructive thorn in his/her side, the boss might look bad for allowing you to go. It’s an implied insult to his/her management skills – Be careful!
