Why you should never accept a counteroffer.

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So, you’ve handed in your resignation letter but your employer wants to offer you a counteroffer. Here’s why you shouldn’t get carried away and accept.

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Undermining your worth

Think about it. Really, think about it. It was only until your current employer faced the risk of you leaving that they wanted to acknowledge how much of a benefit you are to them. It’s likely that you would have already asked for a raise, promotion, or tried to fix your problem, and have since lost patience, or feel you have no other choice but to resign. It’s rather unfortunate for your employer to have missed out on the opportunity on paying you what you’re worth.

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Stunting your growth

On the opposite side of the fence, your new company (or future employer), has compared your strengths with that of other applicants. They are willing to invest in you over everyone else who applied. They see your worth, and they are willing to pay you what you deserve. But not only that. You can only grow outside of your comfort zone, and therefore, starting somewhere new, facing bigger challenges, and pushing yourself in a new direction are all advantages that a counteroffer cannot provide. Further to this, when other employees get a raise because of national wage increases or other increments, you might not be as favored in getting as much of a rise.

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Temporary win

There are many reasons why people move on to another job. You’ve probably spent some time to consider, and reconsider quitting based on salary needs, changes of lifestyle, boredom, and many other things. Now, take the time to think about whether a pay increase answers the issues and discomfort that you raised. It is often not what you’re looking for. So, avoid getting starry-eyed by the thought of earning more in the short term because sooner rather than later you might find yourself in a similar predicament.

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Loss of trust

By accepting a counteroffer, it demonstrates the value you place in being paid more. It also affects the trust between you and your current employer. They also know that a pay rise is only enough to satisfy you in the short term. By offering you a raise, your employer literally buys you into staying as well as buying them time to look for better-skilled talent for when your luck runs out and you realize you still want to look for a new job. Because often, staying with your current employer is never going to feel the same and your commitment to your job will always be questioned.

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Overall, it’s a complete low blow for your pride to walk back into the office knowing that you were bribed to stay, not being sure how it will actually work out. It turns out, accepting a higher salary could harm you in more ways than you first thought.

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