So I've accepted a new job offer and put in my two weeks notice at my current job. When I was discussing the offer with the recruiter she advised me not to accept a counter-offer if my company offers up one.

She said that 9/10 times if someone takes a counter-offer from their current company they're not working there in six months. Basically what would happen is that management wouldn't trust you anymore because they know you were seeking employment elsewhere.

As a recruiter, she benefits from me turning down a counter-offer so her POV must be taken with a grain of salt. That's where TWW comes in. Does anyone agree with her?

3/25/2010 11:16:44 PM

I've seen this scenario happen before at one of my old jobs so I would agree with her. I think it took about 9 months before the guy was canned.

3/25/2010 11:38:17 PM

Are you leaving because of money? If not, then there's not even a reason to think about the counter-offer.

3/25/2010 11:40:53 PM

eh, typically if you were in counter-offer mode you wouldn't have put in your two weeks notice already.

3/25/2010 11:44:23 PM

Yeah, once you turn in your two weeks, youre done, you maybe can come back later on (only if you leave nicely and professionaly). Its true her interests are conflicted... but you know you will never be trusted by management, and they may very well can you at a not so later date when its more convienent for them (ie, you quit on their terms, not yours).

3/26/2010 12:13:54 AM

i've had this happen twice (the counter-offer scenario)...both times i truly believe it's because they needed someone in the position (not necessarily me, but someone with the experience that they wouldn't have to re-train)...i felt that they were sincere offers and that, at the time, they would have been happy for me to accept

that said, i agree completely with your recruiter...unless your boss is better than most human beings, he will remember that you were going to leave and that will likely be held against you until you do actually leave (by choice or otherwise)...it may not be intentional or a conscious act on his/her part, but it'll happen anyway

3/26/2010 8:01:05 AM

For reference:

Poor competency, Not loyal to company - Fire them
Poor competency, Loyal to company - Put them in another position with better competency
Good competency, Not loyal to company - On short list to be replaced
Good competency, Loyal to company - Keep them

If you are on favorable terms with your employer, and your new employer has flexibility, I would certainly think it courteous (though not required) to stay on another couple months to allow time to find / train a replacement. However, a full counter-offer to remain employed full-time at company, see above.

3/26/2010 8:07:06 AM

The recruiter wants you to take the new job. That is how they get paid. Ignore the recruiter's position.

Regarding the consequences for continuing your current position by accepting a counter-offer, there are more issues to consider than you could possibly work through ITT. What type of position you hold, where you rank within the company, your relationship with your management, your company's size, the environment and turnover rate within your company, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Bottom line, trust your gut. Unless you feel 100% comfortable staying, leave. There is a reason your pursued another job. Don't fear the devil you don't know more than the devil you do know.

3/26/2010 8:24:02 AM

If it was just about money the company is going to feel slightly betrayed that you didn't discuss it first with your boss or hr or somebody. Even the shittiest boss/hr person likes to think that they are on top of everything and even if they wouldn't have given you another dime had you asked, you never brought it to their attention. The same could be true if you just wanted a different but similar position in the company or feel like you should get a promotion.

No matter how happy and well paid you are at your job, you should occasionally send out resumes, apply for jobs, go to interviews, and entertain offers. On one hand it may confirm to yourself just how good you have it but on the other hand it could give you the confidence to ask for a raise, a promotion, or a different position within the company. There is nothing inherently wrong with asking, the worst that can happen is they say no. Although, as stated before, once you turn in a notice, it's pretty much over. In the eyes of management, you have already escalated past any possible negotiation.

3/26/2010 8:54:28 AM

Quote :

"She said that 9/10 times if someone takes a counter-offer from their current company they're not working there in six months. Basically what would happen is that management wouldn't trust you anymore because they know you were seeking employment elsewhere. As a recruiter, she benefits from me turning down a counter-offer so her POV must be taken with a grain of salt. That's where TWW comes in. Does anyone agree with her?"

While I agree that you shouldn't trust recruiters, in this case she is exactly right. I read about this exact scenario in a career book recently and I found the whole discussion so eye opening that I'll just transcribe it here:

Quote :

"Taking a counteroffer is about as bad a career move as you can make. First, before your resignation from Company A, you accepted an offer from Company to go work for them. To accept a counteroffer from Company A means you must go back on your promise to Company B. Imagine if you'd had an offer rescinded on you. That's how Company B will see you. Second, your time at Company A will probably be short-lived. You've just told your boss that you want to leave, that you're itching to go, and that you can be bought off with a salary bump. You can bet that they'll be looking for replacements as soon as possible. And that raise they offered you? That's actually an advance on your future pay raises. And why are they willing to give you a raise anyway? Either they must have known that you were underpaid and now they figure that now is the time to give you what you're worth, or you're going to lose out on future income. Either way, they don't have a special fund called 'Money for employees we need to convince to stay.'"

3/26/2010 9:03:19 AM

1) Ignore the recruiter's position. They want you to take the other job, not for you to do what is in your best interest.

2) Many if not most jobs, especially during a recession, operate off of leverage. In other words, if you went to them without an offer you would not get a raise/promotion but now they might offer that to keep you, if you are a valuable employee. They will always know you applied and went after another job, but it depends on many dynamics whether that is actually held against you. Many employers recognize their talented employees have options, and want to keep you. You have to decide whether they will hold it against you or you are likely to be terminated if you accept a counter offer. You have to decide what is best for you.

3) Many companies are slow to respond with a counter-offer, but in general it's not good practice to take a counter offer after accepting another job. You are now in a position to burn bridges with the company whose offer you accepted. If you are unsure of whether to take a job, buy time while you can see how your options play out. However, in this instance it looks like you made your decision. If you decide to stay, keep in mind that door is likely closed at the other company and potentially with their contacts.

3/26/2010 9:03:50 AM

I would just get on with the new job. I agree with the others- that you left the job originally for whatever reasons, and you should stick to them. It's best to leave your current job with your bridges intact and professional. At least HR and management of your old company can possibly see that when you make a decision, you will stick to it, and can't have your mind easily swayed with money. That is somewhat admirable.

3/26/2010 9:14:41 AM

If you've already accepted the new job then you should not even consider a counter offer unless you just have no sense of honor at all.

If a counter offer is something you would have considered, you should have asked for time to make a decision on the offer and then let your current employer know before making a final decision.

If you just wanted to peace out or move on to something new, then the whole issue is moot.

3/26/2010 9:42:49 AM

Honor? Fuck Honor. This is a man's career were talking about. He should do what's best for him and him alone. Any collateral damage or hurt feelings is just the price of doing business. Always the dollars. Always the fucking dollars.

Consider yourself a free agent. You signed an offer with a new team, but your old team still wants you. The balls in your court. Very rarely do you have this kind of leverage. Use it wisely.

3/26/2010 10:03:25 AM

You already accepted the new job and now you're talking about a counter-offer? You did that in the wrong order, dude.

3/26/2010 10:10:25 AM

^^I agree with you up until the point of throwing integrity out the window. I don't believe in being loyal to any company because they sure as hell aren't going to be loyal to you, but a man's word's gotta mean something. Yes, I'm realized i'm old fashioned with that kind of thinking.

[Edited on March 26, 2010 at 10:18 AM. Reason : a]

3/26/2010 10:17:56 AM

Always remember, companies do not honestly care about you, therefore you should meet their indifference with the same level of apathy.

Similarly, a recruiter is after recruits, do not trust them either. They serve a mutually beneficial purpose, but they are no different from a company in the end.

Typically, but definitely not always, the people that you can trust are your co-workers. Everyone else has an agenda, whether they are managers or beneath you in title. That does not mean that you should not be polite/friendly and work well with others, it just means be as careful as you need to be, because people are people.

I have received a counter-offer and I rejected it. More money is hardly the only reason someone decides to interview elsewhere, it is more often than not, a combination of variables. If you are truly interested in returning to the same company, but in a different/higher position, the best strategy is to actually leave! As counter-intuitive as this seems, it is the truth. Companies will take you back and even offer you more money, after you have proven that you do not need them to be successful in the marketplace, not unlike physical relationships.

An HR consultant once told me that companies in general are more interested in employees that they lost to competitors, than they are in new employees, or in employees that have been around a very long time. Play to your strengths, exploit their weaknesses, and you can return and return with a lot of praise! Moral of the story, actions speak louder than words. If you cave to a couple grand more a year, they will view you as weak. Never forget, you are a product to be bought and sold. Sell yourself to the highest bidder and opportunities will open up from places that you least expected.

[Edited on March 26, 2010 at 11:10 AM. Reason : -]

3/26/2010 11:07:35 AM

A couple of points I have learned, and I have been working a lot longer than most of you...

1) Loyally almost never pays. People that think it does havent worked long enough, or have the extreme pleasure of working for one of those very rare companies.
2) You will almost never get paid for what you're worth staying with the same company for a long time. If you want advancement and pay increases, you can almost always obtain these much more quickly by jumping ship.
3) You absolutely can leverage a job offer against your current salary, why would you? And you sure as hell cant use an OFFER as leverage if you ACCEPTED the offer. Only use the offer if you are in a 'I'll think about it and get back with you' period to responding to the new company offer. By leaving you are getting a clean slate, more respect, and more pay at the new company.

That said, there are plenty of situations where staying put is great. I have deferred a great amount of advancement staying at my current job for quite some time. However, I am so happy here, I don't want to leave. its worth it to me to make less, and for it to take longer to advance. But I am already paid well and am well respected, so I don't feel the need to leave.

But for you people out there in corporate that think loyalty matters, forgive me for saying this, but you don't know jack shit.

[Edited on March 26, 2010 at 2:38 PM. Reason : .]

3/26/2010 2:37:13 PM

I went ahead and noted I had already accepted a position with another company in my letter of resignation so I wouldn't have to worry about this scenario.

3/26/2010 10:39:29 PM

The only way I would CONSIDER accepting a counter-offer is if I owned my book of business, patents, or something of similar importance.

If you have that kind of leverage, the counter offer made to you may be good enough that you can accept it without leaving yourself vulnerable in the future.

However, if you are a disposable employee (which 98% of employees fall into) then accepting a counter-offer IMO is a huge mistake.

By leaving an employer on a clean break you burn 0 or 1 bridges.

By accepting a counter offer you burn 2 bridges, (and possibly 3 if the recruiter has any weight in the industry).


You are far better off addressing your manager with your future career goals and seeing if those opportunities exist first before accepting a position elsewhere and then leveraging that against your current employer.

3/26/2010 10:59:39 PM

I had the same thing happen to me when I was looking to leave my first job. As soon as the recruiter relayed the offer of employment I got the same "do not accept a counter-offer" speech. Without doing much research on the topic, I have to agree with most points made here already. The recruiter doesn't get paid until you accept the job, so they are being self-serving. I was looking because I was dissatisfied when I left my first job. I had never quit before, so this was a new experience of me altogether. You have to look out for yourself first, your current company won't, the recruiter won't, and the new company won't either.

To the extent of burning bridges, thats a decision you have to make about your professional career. I had accepted an internship offer with a company, and then got an offer to interview with a different company for a position that I had applied to prior, they just moved slower. When I got the offer for the second job, though only being an internship, I politely let the first company know that I had received an offer more in line with my career goals, and probably burned that bridge to the ground.

Hope this helps, but I would take the new job, take some time and see what happens, and then maybe look at going back to the old company.

3/26/2010 11:00:09 PM

If the goal was money, then might you have told them you "got the other offer but don't want to leave the company, is there anything they can do?" Putting in your two weeks notice is harsh, you should have only done that if you were sure you were not staying. At this point I think it is too late to ask whether you want to stay or go, you already made your bed.

[Edited on March 27, 2010 at 11:08 AM. Reason : .,.]

3/27/2010 11:07:02 AM

i wouldn't let compensation be the ultimate deciding point between two jobs.

3/27/2010 11:36:52 AM

this doesn't really matter unless your company gives you a counter-offer

3/27/2010 12:07:09 PM

A counter-offer is known as a set of golden handcuffs.

You've burned a bridge at the company you were going to leave for and the company you stayed with will never rip you off on future compensation, because they know you've burned that escape bridge.

You're much more likely to get good raises and bonuses at the new company, because they know that you're willing to leave if the money isn't right. Kind of like, once a cheater always a cheater... Except in business that can be a good thing They should never take you for granted.




If you'd like to stay at your current company, then you should be dropping hints to your manager about how dissatisfied you are with your pay, etc. In fact, if that doesn't work, then just straight up tell him - I want a pay raise now. Do all this before accepting an offer with the other company. You don't want to burn any bridges.

[Edited on March 27, 2010 at 12:42 PM. Reason : s]

3/27/2010 12:40:23 PM