Looking to land a role through u&u?Accounting & FinanceAlan Duggan: 07 3232 9131

Business SupportErica Brock: 07 3232 9129

Construction & PropertyJess Mitchell: 07 3232 9149

DigitalSophia Philippou: 07 3232 9139

EngineeringErin Dennis: 07 3232 9117

ExecutiveTim Turner: 07 3232 9135

Human Resources & HSEAndrea McDonald: 07 3232 9103

Information TechnologyBen Pace: 07 3232 9112

Legal, Risk & ComplianceKatie Francis: 07 3232 9116

Marketing & CommunicationsCassandra Vickers: 07 3232 9119

Procurement & ContractsDee Clarke: 07 3232 9100

SalesChris O’Flynn: 07 3232 9111

What is a Counter Offer?

A counter offer is an offer made by an employer to an employee when they learn that the employee has received an offer from another organisation and have usually tendered their resignation. The employer will offer a greater salary or other incentives to try and entice them to stay.

A lot of counter offers focus on offering a higher salary figure than the one the employee has been offered in their new role. However, there are many other reasons why employees become demotivated; money is not always the main reason people seek a new challenge.

Some employers will take the time to understand why you are leaving, and try and rectify the situation. However, addressing employee issues at the resignation stage is not the best time as these issues should have already been addressed as soon as the employee began feeling unhappy in their role.

A counter offer may be tailored to include offers of other company benefits, a promotion, more involvement in leading a team or running tasks that interest you. Sometimes, counter offers can be quite attractive and enticing. But there are a few things you should consider before making any swift decisions.

1. Weigh up the pros and cons

It all comes down to the criteria of what you want out of your role. You should consider both offers with an open mind and rank the pros and cons in line with what you are looking to achieve. Some things can be addressed and improved in your existing role (such as salary), but others may be harder. For example, you may not align with the company values or you may have a clash of personality with some team members.

Why did you start seeking a new role in the first place?

You have taken the time to search, apply and interview for new roles for a reason. You are clearly unhappy with your current situation. There are certain aspects of your role or the organisation which are not aligned with your physical or financial needs, goals, strengths or values.

Had you already raised your concerns with your current employer?

If you have taken the time to previously raise your concerns with your current employer and they haven’t done anything to address them, then why would your employer be offering to change them now you are resigning? It becomes clear that they have not just decided you are valuable once you have resigned, they just don’t want to have to deal with the task and cost of having to recruit and train a new employee, never mind the loss of productivity in the interim.

If this is the case, it is probably best to not accept the counter offer. Your employer has not offered this to you for the right reasons, and it is likely that this will not solve the ongoing issues you have been experiencing.

How to manage counter offers

u&u Recruitment Partners

Level 12

259 Queen Street

Brisbane Qld 4000

07 3232 9100

uandu.com

Looking to land a role through u&u?Accounting & FinanceAlan Duggan: 07 3232 9131

Business SupportErica Brock: 07 3232 9129

Construction & PropertyJess Mitchell: 07 3232 9149

DigitalSophia Philippou: 07 3232 9139

EngineeringErin Dennis: 07 3232 9117

ExecutiveTim Turner: 07 3232 9135

Human Resources & HSEAndrea McDonald: 07 3232 9103

Information TechnologyBen Pace: 07 3232 9112

Legal, Risk & ComplianceKatie Francis: 07 3232 9116

Marketing & CommunicationsCassandra Vickers: 07 3232 9119

Procurement & ContractsDee Clarke: 07 3232 9100

SalesChris O’Flynn: 07 3232 9111

However, if you haven’t raised your concerns previously with your employer, then their attempt to keep you could be genuine. They may want to work with you to improve your satisfaction in the role. You could take the time to speak to your employer about the reasons why you looked for a new role in the first place and see if you can gain their commitment in working with you to address these issues. If you can see that your employer is genuinely doing everything they can to keep you by putting a plan in place to achieve your goals, then the counter offer may be worth considering.

2. Counter offers usually don’t stand the test of time:

Unless salary was the sole purpose for you looking at new opportunities in the market, counter offers are usually not a long-term solution. Most people who accept counter offers find themselves looking for a new job a few months later, when the issues that caused them to explore the market in the first place remain the same.

It is also worth thinking about what it would actually be like in the team once you have resigned and demonstrated that you have the potential to be disloyal. You may no longer be seen as a team player. Will your employer continue to trust you? You may need to work hard to gain back that trust.

3. Keep it professional.

Remember Brisbane is a very small market and maintaining your integrity is key to protecting your reputation. Try not to keep either party waiting too long and don’t string them along unnecessarily.

Going to market to receive an offer just for the purposes of receiving a better offer from your current employer is not good etiquette and you run the risk of damaging your reputation by wasting a lot of people’s time. Speed, transparency and professionalism will be the key to you not burning any bridges.

You never know when you may be back in the market seeking a new role!

Speak to your u&u consultant if you require further guidance on this topic.

How to manage counter offers