sue them! Never take counter offer.

with a new employer!

Mathew Henry, the 17th-century writer said, "Many a dangerous temptation comes to us in fine gay colors that are but skin deep."

The same is true for counteroffers, those magnetic enticements designed to lure you back after you've decided it's time to leave.

It doesn't matter whether you were approached by another company, and offered a position that should allow a good career growth opportunity or you initiated a job search on your own. Counter offers should never be accepted....EVER!

This means NEVER resign until you have all the facts, have considered them and arrived at a final decision to leave - BEFORE you tell your boss.
Here's what happens

You attempt to resign from your current company. Oops! It doesn't go as smoothly as you planned. Your boss is upset about losing you and presents you with a counteroffer and asks you to stay. This appeal is known as a counter offer, or buy back. It's an attempt by your current company to persuade you to stay.

But take care not to fall into the trap, or be blind-sided to your own detriment. You should understand what's about to be cast upon you. Counter offers are typically made in combination with some form of flattery.

Counters usually take one - or more - of these forms

 

1. More money - "Your raise was schedule to go into effect next quarter, but we'll make it effective immediately."
2. Promotion/more responsibility - "Aw, gee, I've been meaning to tell you about the great plans we have for you, but it's been confidential until now."
3. Modified reporting structure - "As VP, I'll just have you report directly to me from now on."
4. Promises of above or future considerations - "The V.P. has you in mind for some exciting and expanding responsibilities."
5. Disparaging remarks about the new company or job - "You're going to work for who?"
6. Guilt trips - "I'm really shocked. I thought you were as happy with us as we are with you."
7. Don't make a hasty decision - "Let's discuss it before you make your final decision."

 

You can find these tempting gestures inevitably create confusion and buyer's remorse. Career changes are tough enough as it is....leaving a comfortable job, friends, location, etc. for an unknown and challenging opportunity in which one must reprove oneself. These anxieties frequently cloud the best of logic. But just because the new position is a little scary, does not mean it's not a positive move. It is just initially feel more comfortable to stay.

What really goes through your boss's mind when you resign?

 

• "This couldn't be happening at a worse time."
• "This is one of my best people. If I let him quit now, it'll wreak havoc on the morale of the department."
• "I've already got one opening in my department, I don't need another right now."
• "This will probably screw up the entire vacation schedule."
• "I'm working as hard as I can, and I don't need to do her work, too."
• "My review is coming up and this will make me look bad."
• "Maybe I can keep her on until I find a suitable replacement."

 

Why Counteroffers Don't Work
It's true: counteroffers very, very rarely work. There are several reasons for this.

Trust. No matter what the company says, you will forever be a "marked" employee. You have demonstrated your lack of loyalty by considering another opportunity. People will feel jilted, even if you accept a counteroffer and stay. Trust and acceptance among your immediate colleagues may be irrevocably lost.

Managers, too, have long memories, and won't forget your lapse in loyalty --no matter how brief it may have been.

Most likely, your basic reason(s) for thinking of leaving will eventually resurface. There are a myriad of reasons why you may have considered a change: perhaps something in particular bothered you about your position, or maybe you were presented with an irresistible opportunity.

In any case, changes made as a result of a counteroffer may appease you in the short term, but rarely last for the long run. Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, it's still extremely likely that you'll voluntarily leave or be terminated within 6 months to a year.

Think about it. If you were worth "X" yesterday, why are they suddenly willing to pay you "X Y" today, when you were not expecting a raise for some time?

The reality is that bosses/companies do not like to be fired. Your boss is likely most concerned they may look bad, and that this could jeopardize their career. One of the key things they are evaluated on is by their ability to retain staff.

Further, your leaving might jeopardize an important project, cause a greater workload, or foul up a vacation schedule. It's never a good time for someone to quit, and it may prove very time consuming and costly to replace you, especially considering search and relocation expenses. It's much cheaper to keep you even at a slightly higher salary. And, it would be better to fire you later, on the company's time frame.

Here's are examples of how senior executives have been quoted about counter offers.

"When making a counter offer, it usually is a stop-gap measure because we couldn't afford a defection at that point in time. We did not count on those people long term, and usually they'd burned bridges two or three levels up, if not with their immediate manager. It definitely put them in a career holding pattern."

He went on to recall a long conference between himself, his boss, and two subordinate managers, in which a counter offer/raise to a person two levels down was approved. "Immediately after that meeting, my boss called me, and said, 'We can't afford to lose him now, but our number one priority is to find a replacement, ASAP!' And, we replaced him within a few months."

Another senior executive from a major financial service organization shared the following opinions, "If they're a real 'hitter', I'll try to get them to stay. But to be honest, any additional compensation is 'stealing' from their future earnings, and I'll always question their convictions, knowing they can be bought. Further, I'll wonder if I can really count on them (which equates to limited future opportunities). In other words, the damage is done."

While your employer may truly consider you an asset, and may genuinely care about you personally, you can be sure that your interests are secondary to your boss's career, and your company's profit or survival. In other words, flattering offers and comments are attempts to manipulate you to do something that is in your employer's best interests, and not necessarily yours. It's not about you.

The negative ramifications to accepting a counter-offer are numerous.

Where did the money or responsibility come from? Was it your next raise - just early? Will you be limited in the future? Will you have to threaten to quit to get your next raise, or might your (cheaper) replacement be sought out ASAP? One client executive who preferred to remain unnamed, commented that "90% of the time, accepting a counter offer is the wrong thing to do. And, if the business is so dependent on one person, it's a weak business."

You've demonstrated your unhappiness, or your lack of blind loyalty, and will be perceived as having committed blackmail to gain a raise. You'll not be considered a team player again. Many employers will hold a grudge at the next review period, and you may be at the top of the next Reduction-in-Force "hit list". "Like an adulterous affair that has been discovered, the broken trust is never fully recovered," stated one client that requested anonymity.

Apart from a short-term band-aid treatment, nothing changes with the company. After the dust settles from this upheaval, you'll be in the same old rut. In fact, statistics indicate that more than 80% of those accepting counter-offers leave, or are terminated, within 6-12 months anyway. One executive search executive said, "Although counter-offer acceptances are discouraged, 50% of those who did succumb had re-initiated their job search within 90 days. In fact, one candidate called us back in 5 days!"

One executive candidate told us "It was exactly like you said it would be....they butter you up, give you more money, but nothing really changes. In fact, they can get worse." He went on to say "My immediate boss was really agitated, since his boss interceded. At raise time he told me that none had been budgeted (since I'd already gotten a raise), and that if I wanted, I could negotiate with the President as before." This gentleman, by the way, left the company within months.

Attempted buy-backs demonstrate disrespect for your well-thought-out decision, and your commitment to the new company. Should your current employer decide to eliminate your position, or skip you for promotion, just try to counter and change their minds. Fat chance! You've analyzed, accepted, and committed to the new company, which has surely made plans and accommodations around you, and is counting on you. Don't sell out, or back out. Stand by your word. Everyone will respect your decision and integrity, and if the previous employer was sincere about your value, they'll likely make a spot for you in the future.

Look at the two opportunities, your old job and the new position, as if you were unemployed. Which holds the most real potential? Probably the new one, or you'd not have accepted it in the first place.

Two things are certain . . . (1) You can normally expect a counter-offer, and (2) you should hold a steady course from the beginning, and stick with your decision to move on to a bigger and better future.

(c) 2009 by Carl Bradford - I am an Executive Recruiter with over 40 years of recruiting and hiring experience. I am also a recognized expert in this field. I train corporate and independent recruiters in the Lou Adler recruiting methods and am currently the only individual that is permitted to certify other recruiters in this coveted methodology. You can find all of my current search assignments at: http://www.BradfordConsulting.com and my blog posts at: http://www.theemploymentguy.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Bradford

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• 太長了.不過受教了., -虎寶寶- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/01/2011 postreply 17:16:41