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I would like to toss out a scenario to the community.

Suppose you have accepted a position to work at another company and have notified your current boss. Only to have your current company respond by proposing a counter offer. Further assume that the current company proposes an excellent counteroffer that you are going to accept. Has anyone had an experience as to how to best manage this process?

[u]SOME THOUGHTS:[/u]
As I see it the Recruiter will push hard for the candidate to take the “other” companies offer and not be shy about sharing her displeasure if the current companies counter offer is accepted by the candidate. Furthermore, this is a recruiter that the candidate enjoys a strong relationship with and has had several successful business transactions over the past dozen years;

The Other Company will push hard for the candidate to follow through on the acceptance of their original offer (i.e. WE HAD AN AGREEMENT!).

How would (if at all) accepting the current company’s counter proposal change the dynamic going forward?

Many thanks,
mwojtow

Gareth's picture

Will your boss and colleagues question your commitment to the current company, after all you did try to leave?

mwojtow's picture

That is a solid plausible point. The boss and fellow associates may very well question the candidate's commitment.

kklogic's picture

Never, ever accept a counter.

Ever.

As mentioned, your loyalty is forever questioned. You now are all about the money and not about the job. Just don't do it.

mwojtow's picture

I can only think of one time in my years of business that a candidate accepted his / her current company's counter offer. Therefore, what I'm hearing from the MT community may very well explain why this is so rare.

I will pass along.

Many thanks

thaGUma's picture

Accept the counter offer and there will always be
1. a thought that it was done in order to solicit a counter offer,
2. doubts over professionalism; reneging on a deal with the other company.
3. the loss of future pay rises as the company claws back what they obviously thought wasn’t worth offering originally.
4. loss of respect by peers. They will find out about the counter offer, followed by
5. loss of respect by your bosses as they find peers trying similar stunts.
6. loss of future employment opportunities with the other company as acceptance of an offer is not sufficient for them to rely on.
7. concern that money is the main motivation. Decide to go – then go. Money is a small part as long as there is sufficient to live (and save).
8. uncertainty whether the same thing will happen next year.

Scenarios where I would accept a counter offer.
1. Where the company made an error – the CEO comes running up – Hey Paul, I only just found out that you were leaving. Your boss is fired for letting the situation arise and you move into his position.
2. Pigs grow wings. :twisted:

In the unlikely event of the former; honesty with the company from whom you will be retracting the acceptance. Reimburse any expenses claimed. The original company will need bridges building and doubling of effort to shine. A bridge too far?

Chris

lazerus's picture

"You have accepted an offer to work at another company".
That's kind of the end of the process, isn't it?

Peter.westley's picture
Licensee BadgeTraining Badge

... and just to add another voice (if there haven't been enough already) ;-)

Counter offers [b]never[/b] work.
Period.

mwojtow's picture

We are so lucky to live in this day and age.

Think about it for a moment a question was put on the MT discussion forum and within 24 hours there have been approximately 190 views and responses coming from three different continents.

Way to go Mike & Mark.

[u]Question[/u]
If counter offers being accepted calls into question that candidate’s loyalty to their current organization why would their current manager even bother with making a counter offer in the first place :?:

Gareth's picture

[quote="mwojtow"]
If counter offers being accepted calls into question that candidate’s loyalty to their current organization why would their current manager even bother with making a counter offer in the first place :?:[/quote]

To limit the cost to the organisation of finding a replacement and the time it would take to get them up to speed?

AManagerTool's picture

Addendum to Gareth's comment:

The Dark Tool says,
To buy time until your replacement can be found.

kklogic's picture

I can't argue with the Dark Tool.

Even if they do keep you on, your consideration for future promotions and/or merit increases substantially - well - decreases.