The main reason that most companies make counter-offers is so that they, not you, are in control of the timetable for your transition. After you have informed your boss that you are leaving you might be asked why you are leaving and what could your current employer do to retain your services. Have an open and honest conversation with your boss about the reasons for why you are leaving but let them know that your mind is made up that you will be vacating your role with the company.

Over the years I have lost several good candidates that have been lured by counter-offers that involve more pay, greater benefits, vain-glorious titles, premature promotions along with other frivolous perks. The candidate seems to have all but forgotten why they were considering leaving in the first place. They don’t take the time to ask themselves if they are this valuable to the company why didn’t their boss extend the generous offers to them prior to their announcing that they were resigning.

Once you accept the counter-offer there is a chance that your boss is searching for your replacement. Management might be wondering when you will once again search out greater options for your career with another company. You will be viewed with suspicion as you handle confidential company information, wondering if you might take it with you to a competitor at a later date. There may be some feelings of contempt for the way that you forced the company to provide you with the good things that came with the counter-offer. Your co-workers will be resentful for the way that you handled your new promotion, pay or whatever you received in the counter-offer.

One thing is certain and that is the relationships you made with the company that made you the offer has been tainted. Recruiters, hiring manager’s and human resource professionals have long memories of people that have played them for fools for wasting valuable time preparing an offer for a candidate that accepts a counter-offer.

Below is the email that a candidate sent to me after we waited a couple of days for him to respond to our offer letter only to find out he was accepting a counter-offer.

Dear Ms. Smith

It is with deepest regret I must decline the offer. I needed to give my current employer enough time to counter. They had until close of business EST today to come up with an offer to keep me. They exceeded my expectations and have proven to me I am a much needed asset in their eyes.

Thank you so much for the opportunity. Please again let me reiterate the point; I appreciate and am so grateful for the opportunity Company A has presented me, but at this point in my life it does not fit into my families (sic) values.

Thanks (sic) you so much
Chuck M

Chuck never mentioned to me that our offer would somehow affect his family values, nor did we know that he was delaying a response to our offer so he could allow his current employer more time to prepare a better offer for him. I responded to his email and bcc all the team members that were involved in the offer process so they would know he would not be joining the team after all.

Hi Chuck,

The team and I appreciate your responding before the week-end came. We have had daily conference calls as filling these positions is critical. We all wish you well but must say it is very disheartening to think that we invested so much time so that our offer could be used as leverage for you to obtain a better offer with your current employer.

Best Wishes,
Kelly Smith
Company X

When the team found out that he purposely used our offer as leverage for a better offer with his current employer the team was livid. High ranking management, other team members and the client that relied on us to provide services learned of Chuck’s counter-offer acceptance and were not happy. Eight months later Chuck was laid off. I was no longer consulting with the company that created the offer for Chuck but I had remained friends with the team. One of the hiring manager’s contacted me to let me know that Chuck was asking if the company would be interested in hiring him as he was recently laid off. The manager said Chuck’s desire to return to the company that he had previously wasted time with was simply laughed off by all the team members. The new company that I was consulting with at the time could have used someone with Chuck’s skills but there was no way I was going to deal with him ever again. I took a lot of heat for Chuck’s sneaky move.