Things at work are horrible. You start a job search and lo and behold, you are eventually offered a position with a great company, opportunities to advance, and a higher salary. But when you tender your resignation, your manager protests and comes at you with a counter offer. This may be in the form of more money, added responsibilities, or new perks. Tempting to stay, isn’t it?
Before you immediately accept such an offer, consider these things:
- Why did it take your resigning to compensate you appropriately?
- Will you need to put yourself through a nerve-wracking job search every time you find conditions unacceptable?
- How will your colleagues and managers feel if you stay? They are bound to find out what happened, as offices are full of politics and gossip.
- Will you always be asking yourself “What if…” after you’ve closed the door on the new opportunity?
You can count on management to be less than pleased that they were essentially given an ultimatum. They may feel that you have been disloyal, and therefore will not hesitate to let you go should they fall upon difficult times or find a cheaper replacement.
Of course, this strategy may work. You are within your rights to request reasonable changes and be paid what you are worth. But more often than not, your current employer will be flustered, and the company you turn down might feel used as leverage. You don’t want to burn any bridges, so think very carefully before attempting this strategy and making this crucial decision.