Should you accept a counter offer?

Picture this. You’ve spent months searching recruitment listings, discussed opportunities at length with your recruitment consultant, expertly navigated several interview rounds and have been made and accepted an offer for an exciting position that will take your career to the next level.

But when you hand in your notice to your current boss, he or she makes you a counter offer. More money for doing the job you already know so well – seems like the obvious choice, right? Well, the decision whether or not to accept a counter offer is a complex one and requires much consideration. As recruitment experts in the Animal Health sector, we give you some insights to help you to make the right decision for you, should you find yourself in this position.

One solid argument against accepting a counter offer is that research shows that a significant proportion of candidates that accept a counter offer from their current employer will either resign within six months or will be terminated within one year. There could be many reasons for this, the primary of which is that there are probably several reasons why you were looking for a new role in the first place…chances are, it wasn’t just the money! These other reasons – which only you will know – will likely remain and could possibly lead to continued job frustration in the future.

Counter to this, it’s important to remember that the grass is not always greener. You’ve built relationships with your current organisation and the fact that your current employer is keen to make a counter offer to keep you shows that you and your work are respected and valued. A very important consideration before venturing into unknown territory.

If you’re not satisfied in your current role, whether that’s because of your pay level or any other factor, did you fully explore the possibilities for a salary increase or discuss any frustrations you have before exploring new opportunities elsewhere? If not, your current employer may be unaware of any dissatisfactions and a better approach would be to try to address these before applying for a new position.

When seeking new employment opportunities, we firmly believe that you should never say never. If you do find yourself in the strong position of having been offered an exciting new role, which your current employer counters with an attractive counter offer, it’s essential that you reflect on what drove you to consider leaving in the first place. What was your motivation to seek new opportunities? How are your relationships in your current role? If money was the driving factor, accepting the counter offer may be the simple and best choice for you. But if it’s down to more than money, you must follow your heart and remember that your gut instinct is normally right. And only you can make that decision.

Good luck!