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COUNTEROFFER
"Although
you think you're staying, you're really still leaving,
but now it will be on their terms, not yours"
A
counteroffer is merely any type of inducement your current
employer uses to dissuade you from leaving, once you have
submitted your resignation. They invariably involve some
type of a promise from your boss. In most situations,
a counteroffer will involve higher levels of compensation
for you if you stay, and your boss will usually refer
to the promotion the company was planning for you, or
how he or she was about to change your job description
to make it more satisfying for you. Most people fail to
ask themselves the obvious question, "If the company
holds me in such high regard, why did I have to resign
to get what I deserve?" This, of course, begs the
follow-up question, "Will I have to threaten to quit
in the future to get what I deserve?" The sad truth
is there is an extremely high probability that you won't
even be there in the future.
Believe
it or not, when you announce your resignation, your employer's
first thought is not about what this means to you, but
rather how this will impact him or her. Just a few possible
examples of your boss's immediate thoughts would be:
This
couldn't come at a worse time. I am spread too thin
as it is, my department is already behind schedule,
and this going to hurt morale.
My review is just around the corner, and this loss is
going to take a toll on my performance.
It is not going to be easy to replace this person on
such short notice, and my department's year-to-date
performance was setting me up for a nice bonus.
If I can keep this person in place just until I find
a suitable replacement, that would make my life a lot
easier and might just salvage my vacation plans.
On
the other hand, what your boss will actually say to you
will be a far cry from what he or she is really feeling.
Some possible examples would be:
I'm
really shocked to hear you were this unhappy, let's
put our heads together to see what we can come up with
so you will want to stay.
This really hurts, especially since I had just worked
out the details of your upcoming promotion, but upper
management asked me to keep it confidential until next
month.
I was going to give you a raise next quarter. How about
we make it retroactive to the beginning of this quarter?
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the size of
the increase I have arranged for you.
I don't want to see you make a mistake here, I have
heard some disturbing information about your prospective
employer.
After all I have done for you, this is how you repay
me.
Unfortunately,
most bosses know a subordinate's emotional framework as
well, if not better, than the person does. They can be
very adept at pushing any or all of your emotional buttons
- guilt, greed, fear, the need for recognition, and the
need for companionship. When it comes to the resignation
process, if you don't maintain a "business decision
mindset" (similar to the mentality of a boss who
decides to downsize his work force), then you run the
risk falling prey to the superficial lure of the counteroffer.
Before you yield to the lure of a generous counteroffer,
consider these undeniable truths:
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1.
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Regardless
of what a company says when it is extending a counteroffer,
you will, from that moment forward, be considered
a fidelity risk. You will lose your status as a team
player and your place in the inner circle. This will
come into play in future decisions regarding promotions
and career-enhancing opportunities.
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2.
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Statistically,
over 85% of executives who accept counteroffers are
gone from that employer within 6 to 18 months of accepting
the counteroffer.
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3.
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Counteroffers
are usually nothing more than a means of stalling
your departure to give your employer time to figure
out how to replace you.
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4.
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When
the word gets out that you resigned and then accepted
a counteroffer to stay, your relationship with your
peer group in the workplace will become strained as
some measure of resentment will begin to surface.
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The
reasons that prompted you to entertain outside opportunities
in the first place will still be there. Your boss's concessions
will make the situation a little more tolerable in the
short run, but the underlying sources of your original
dissatisfaction will eventually surface again.
If,
after you have learned the truths about counteroffers,
and you still succumb to your boss's persuasive tactics,
then there is one final reality you would do well to embrace.
Although you think you're staying, you're really still
leaving, but now it will be on their terms, not yours.
Ten Reasons
for not Accepting a Counteroffer (Provided by the trainer
Bob Marshall):
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1.
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What
type of company do you work for if you have to threaten
to resign before they give you what you are worth?
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2.
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From
where is the money for the counteroffer coming? Is
it your next raise, early? (All companies have strict
wage and salary guidelines which must be followed).
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3.
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Your
company will immediately start looking for a new person
at a lower salary price. |
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4.
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You
have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy.
From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.
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5.
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When
promotion time comes around, your employer will remember
who was loyal, and who wasn't. |
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6.
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When
times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback
with you. |
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7.
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The
same circumstances that now cause you to consider
a change will repeat themselves in the future, even
if you accept a counteroffer. |
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8.
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Statistics
show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability
of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let
go within one year is extremely high. |
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9.
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Accepting
a counteroffer is an insult to your intelligence and
a blow to your personal pride, knowing that you were
bought. |
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10.
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Once
the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy
with your co-workers will never be the same. You will
lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.
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