Why is a bad idea to accept counter offer from your employer

[Zombie]

I keep hearing that it is a bad idea to accept current employers counter offer when you tell them that you are leaving, but never heard any logical reasoning.

I am in a situation where we are 9 developers 1 is leaving next week, another 1 leaves after that and one more is thinking of leaving.

I am starting to think along the same lines now. People are leaving because there is no growth for us here (no promotions for any software eng. in last 5 years) and our department is mess that won't be cleaned-up anytime soon.

 

[dabuddha]

I'm guessing it's because your employer knows you want to leave and that just gives them time to find a replacement for you. Meaning, you'll probably be fired soon if you take the offer.

 

[lokiju]

Resentment

 

[pontifex]

how many people would take a counter offer anyway? usually when i want a new job its mostly because the job sucks or the people you work with suck.

 

[KB]

Same problems... just more money. You want to get away from the problems that caused you to want to leave.

 

[D1gger]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm guessing it's because your employer knows you want to leave and that just gives them time to find a replacement for you. Meaning, you'll probably be fired soon if you take the offer.

FTW. I am an employer and this is exactly what I have done in the past.

Now, I make it a point to never make a counter-offer and simply get the employee out of the building, I don't want the two weeks notice so the person can hang around and make snide comments to other workers.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm guessing it's because your employer knows you want to leave and that just gives them time to find a replacement for you. Meaning, you'll probably be fired soon if you take the offer.

 

[Noirish]

The only bad thing is that company knows where your loyalty lies.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Noirish
The only bad thing is that company knows where your loyalty lies.

but then again, is the company loyal to you? most of the time i would say no. they wouldn't go out of their way to help you out. you're just a number that can be replaced.

 

[mugs]

Because they know you have no loyalty to them, so it's in their best interest to replace you ASAP. Keeping you around until they can replace you makes it easier on them.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

is this guy going to take you to lunch and half a movie every week in order to keep you under their employment?

 

[mordantmonkey]

That's why if you just want more money, you ask for a raise first. If you have other reasons for leaving, then don't take the counter offer.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: suicidalpigeon
is this guy going to take you to lunch and half a movie every week in order to keep you under their employment?

Hahaha, I saw that, so ridiculous

 

[Stuxnet]

Let me tell ya why!

I quit my job about 3 months ago and accepted a counteroffer that included a promotion and raise. I've yet to receive either.

I've accepted counters before with success, but it's really a risky proposition. The company will say whatever is necessary to buy themselves time, but your character (in their eyes) is damaged and you're tainted goods. The longterms effects of that can vary greatly; just be assured that NONE of them will benefit you.

 

[Britboy]

Lets say they give you a counter offer and you take it, as others have said, they will resent you and question your future loyalty. They will also most likely ratchet down any future raises to make up for the increased compensation they had to give you now.

It's always best to leave, regardless of their offer, you can always go back in a few years and renegotiate your salary with them for an even higher number, know many people who have done just that.

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Noirish
The only bad thing is that company knows where your loyalty lies.

but then again, is the company loyal to you? most of the time i would say no. they wouldn't go out of their way to help you out. you're just a number that can be replaced.

Actually as much employees complain about how little leverage they have in the workplace, nothing could be further from the truth.

If I wanted to right now, I could go out and find another job and tell my current employer (who pays me well and has done nothing wrong) to piss off and they'd have no recourse.

However, if my employer found another employee they wanted to replace me with, they'd have to move and heaven and earth (or offer me a huge severance package) to get me to leave-- even if I was a subpar employee who contributed little or nothing to the company.

 

[spidey07]

There's a better way to approach this.

Figure out why you want to leave - Environment/culture = probably can't be changed.

money, responsibility, career path = can be changed.

So when you get another nice offer from another company sit down and talk to your boss about what you want to do and where you see your path and that you'd should be considered for a promotion.

If they don't bite or don't work, then maybe just say "i really don't want to leave, but I have to do what is best for my career. I have been interviewing other positions and verbally accepted.

I don't know. It's sticky. I have however seen very talented people start talking to other companies and the employer fights to keep them there. It's not that the employee isn't disloyal, just not given the opportunities they'd like to succeed.

but whenever playing that game you have to be prepared for the consequences. "if you're not happy here, then you don't have to work here...ba-bye."

 

[Zombie]

well, they can't find people to fill our recs. We had 3 recs open for 3 months and we couldn't fill any of them and now people are leaving.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: QED

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Noirish
The only bad thing is that company knows where your loyalty lies.

but then again, is the company loyal to you? most of the time i would say no. they wouldn't go out of their way to help you out. you're just a number that can be replaced.

Actually as much employees complain about how little leverage they have in the workplace, nothing could be further from the truth.

If I wanted to right now, I could go out and find another job and tell my current employer (who pays me well and has done nothing wrong) to piss off and they'd have no recourse.

However, if my employer found another employee they wanted to replace me with, they'd have to move and heaven and earth (or offer me a huge severance package) to get me to leave-- even if I was a subpar employee who contributed little or nothing to the company.

if there's a good reason to fire you and replace you with someone better, they can do it.

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: QED

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Noirish
The only bad thing is that company knows where your loyalty lies.

but then again, is the company loyal to you? most of the time i would say no. they wouldn't go out of their way to help you out. you're just a number that can be replaced.

Actually as much employees complain about how little leverage they have in the workplace, nothing could be further from the truth.

If I wanted to right now, I could go out and find another job and tell my current employer (who pays me well and has done nothing wrong) to piss off and they'd have no recourse.

However, if my employer found another employee they wanted to replace me with, they'd have to move and heaven and earth (or offer me a huge severance package) to get me to leave-- even if I was a subpar employee who contributed little or nothing to the company.

if there's a good reason to fire you and replace you with someone better, they can do it.

In most of the places I've ever worked, you'd have to come to work drunk, tell your boss you'd like to sodomize him, and then proceed to pleasure yourself right there in your weekly staff meeting before they'd be able to fire you. And even then, in most places they would just give you your first written warning.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
I'm guessing it's because your employer knows you want to leave and that just gives them time to find a replacement for you. Meaning, you'll probably be fired soon if you take the offer.

Exactly. If you are a coder, they will probably make you document everything you did or they will have you train someone, and then once they are trrain or someone suitable comes along, they will drop you -- which does not look good on your resume. Quitting looks a lot better on your resume.

 

[azoomee]

Originally posted by: jbourne77
Let me tell ya why!

I quit my job about 3 months ago and accepted a counteroffer that included a promotion and raise. I've yet to receive either.

I've accepted counters before with success, but it's really a risky proposition. The company will say whatever is necessary to buy themselves time, but your character (in their eyes) is damaged and you're tainted goods. The longterms effects of that can vary greatly; just be assured that NONE of them will benefit you.

Had a friend who same thing happened to.