Reasons not to accept a counter offer

Someone will go through the job search process and interview process with another company. If all goes well that person receives a job offer, accepts it and then resigns from their current role. This all sounds so simple, right?

Unfortunately, when you decide to accept the job and hand in your resignation to your current employer, they could present you with a counter offer, as in a promotion or a raise just to stay with the company.

people sitting by laptops

You should think to yourself what got you started looking for new employment. Was it the money? Was the company changing? Did the commute cost too much? Did you not get along with the manager? Was it affecting your quality of life? Whatever the reason is, you need to keep this in mind when you are considering the new job and the counter offer.

Here we will look at the reasons why you should not accept the counter offer.

1 You had to quit to get a raise

This should make you wonder why you were not this valuable when you are working hard and attending to your job duties every day.

2 You have made your employer aware that you are unhappy

Statistics show that someone who accepts a counter offer is at a higher risk of voluntarily leaving within the first six months or let go within the first year.

3 Circumstances do not change

The reasons why you considered to change places in the first place have a high probability of repeating themselves in the future even if you accept the counter offer.

4 Burnt bridges

You could potentially burn bridges with the new employer who offered you more benefits or money before the counter offer. It will also affect your relationship with your co-workers and managers when they find out.

5 No self-growth

Accepting a counter offer limits you from figuring out your career path and finding new or better opportunities.

Before you get to the counter offer stage, you need to think what is important to you and how a new opportunity can provide more value than your current employer.