COUNTEROFFER? THINK TWICE ... AND THEN THINK AGAIN!

Consider this: If you have accepted an appealing offer from a new employer and your current employer makes a counteroffer, how many of the key reasons why you were contemplating leaving in the first place have changed? Has your new offer, which you were previously so willing, even excited to accept, lessened or diminished in any way? And if your current employer was unwilling to give you what you wanted and deserved before they knew your value to others, has their mentality changed?

Remember: Your new offer is from an employer who sees and comprehends your value. If your current employer wanted you to stay, they could have taken action to keep you on before you were forced to take action yourself to get what you need and are worth.

Still thinking?: Could your current employer, knowing you were planning to leave, merely be buying time with the proposed raise until he/she can locate a replacement? It happens, more frequently than you would think. Is more money going to change all the reasons that led you to seek a new opportunity in the first place? Your co-workers, work climate, responsibilities, demands, overall job satisfaction? Will your current employer forget that you were once so willing to leave when economic slow-downs occur or promotions are doled out? Unlikely.

On a Final Note: Statistics compiled by the National Association of Personnel Consultants confirm that over 80% of employees who decide to accept a counteroffer are no longer with the company six months later.

A Warning: If, after careful consideration of the facts, you decide to accept a counteroffer, be sure to ask your current employer to confirm each and every detail of their offer in writing. An imprudent mistake on your part could be very costly in terms of your long-term professional growth.