You got a counter offer. Now what?

You come to terms that it is time to make a move in your career. You fit in interviews, examined your options, and received an offer for your new job! You give your two weeks’ notice and request a plan to turn over your workload. Next thing you know, you get called into the office by your manager and are told that “you are too valuable and we cannot afford to lose you. We are prepared to give you a promotion & an increase in salary”.

This scenario is one that candidates are experiencing more often as companies are struggling to find talent and when a well-performing, trained member of the team decides to leave it is a loss greater than any Philly sports team not making it to the playoffs. At this point they are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep you. So dear Candidate, if you find yourself caught between two jobs, below are some things to consider:

Why did I want to leave in the first place?

It could be a bad culture fit, lack of growth potential, incompatible managers, being underpaid, or something else that led you to start your job hunt; therefore, when you consider an offer to stay, make sure that you are negotiating the course correction on what made you want to leave in the first place.

Will I be burning any bridges by turning down an offer?

There is nothing more disappointing to a Hiring Manager than courting the perfect candidate for them to ultimately turn you down. It took a lot of time, energy, and resources to get you to this point. Turning down an offer could hurt some connections that you made throughout your interview process.     

Does my current employer have the capacity to keep its promises?

A lot of managers LOVE to say when you give notice “I was unaware you weren’t happy”. So now they are in a place where the choice is to keep you or lose you, and from my experience, they will do whatever it takes to keep you. Make sure that the things they are looking to promise are realistic. A pay increase with a development plan is an easier fix than a complete culture overhaul. Is it possible that you are being kept on long enough for your manager to find your replacement OR will you find yourself wanting to leave again in a year because the promises that were made were unable to be kept?

How does the culture & package compare?

Money is always an easy fix. The most important thing to consider here is culture and potential opportunity. You were in your current role for X amount of years and were unsuccessful in promotions or getting a development plan in place. It seems that they had the ability to invest in your career & for whatever reason they choose not to.

Taking a leap of faith is scary and there is some comfort in the familiar. Take your time and think this decision through. There is no right or wrong answer here. And if for any reason the decision you make does not work out, this in no way will define you or the rest of your career.

Meet the Author

Theresa Savage
Talent Consultant, Juno Talent Solutions

Your next opportunity awaits.

Job hunting can be stressful and making a career move can be intimidating. We know all too well. Our team of talent professionals is here to support your search every step of the way. Whether you’re seeking your first full-time gig, looking for contract-to-hire opportunities, or ready to take the next step in your career, we’ve got you covered.