Blog

News & Updates

Should You Accept A Counteroffer?

So you’ve decided to take that job offer you spent months looking, applying and interviewing for. But hold on a minute. Your current employer suddenly realizes you haven’t been appreciated lately and decides to come back with an even more generous counteroffer.

All of a sudden, you’ve gone from faceless desk jockey to in-demand talent, and with a potentially bigger salary to boot. So you figure, ‘what the heck’ and stick with the devil you know; same company with maybe a slightly better position and a lot bigger paycheck.

Did you make the right decision? Should you have taken the red pill and seen how far down that rabbit hole goes? Let’s find out.

The Pros and Cons of a Counteroffer

It’s easy to get caught up in the head-swirling winds of offers and counteroffers, but hopefully you sat down and thought about why you even started looking for a new job in the first place.

If it was because you didn’t get along with your supervisor, a bigger paycheck or extra vacation days won’t change that situation. There’s an old saying the goes “People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.” Hopefully, either the counteroffer included answering to a different supervisor or this wasn’t your situation.

Another reason you may have wanted to change jobs was stagnation, and maybe the counteroffer included promises of greater authority or job flexibility. However, if you didn’t get those promises in writing, they may have gone up in smoke.

Dealing with the regret of accepting a counteroffer

If you’re looking back and now starting to regret the counteroffer, start by taking a fresh look at the bright side of the situation. You should be in a better place than where you were before this situation began.

Regrets or not, you should be putting in a lot of face time after taking that counteroffer. No doubt word of your desire to leave has gotten around and you may need to assure people that you’re still a dedicated part of the team. If you’re having regrets, this fence mending will keep your work environment as good as can be under the circumstances while you think about your next move.

You should consider also that your employer needs you to stay right in place right now, but has become aware of your desire to leave. Once your employer gets their situation settled, they may look to exit you from the company.

In fact, your next move could be to stay right where you are. This regret could even be a temporary phase and situations have a way of changing. Maybe someone above you quits, retires or gets fired, and all of a sudden you’re the favorite to move up – again.

Finally, try to look at your desire to quit as an opportunity to have a conversation with your supervisor. You might be able to affect important changes and become one of those people who say they’re glad they stayed.

Weigh your options carefully. 

At CAREERXCHANGE, we know that making decisions about your career isn’t easy, and sometimes we do things we later regret. We always have a range of opportunities available for talented employees having doubt about their current situation. So stop in and we will put your mind at ease.

Share it

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email