A lot of times, there are several reasons you may want to leave your job. It could be obvious things like work hours or coworkers, or it could be unconscious in the sense you just do not like the job in general. This can be a problem when you receive a counteroffer where the only thing that changes is the salary.
This can be an issue three months down the line when you are unhappy again because it was not just the salary you were dissatisfied with and the underlying issue isn't solved by a counteroffer.
The odds are, that you will experience long-term happiness and personal satisfaction at another job that is more suited to you than your current role. In this article, we look at the reasons you should move on.
1. There is little chance for career progression
Often when you are receiving counteroffers and job offers, it is easy to accept it without too much thought because of how appealing the offer may look.
A significant factor when thinking about counteroffers is if there is a chance for career development and progression. If you are searching for a long-term job, possibilities of career progression should make or break your decision.
Jobs take a lot of time and energy, and it is best to put your energy into something that will have a great payoff later.
It is also good to think about the highest position in the job (that you could be promoted to) and if you would be happy with that.
2. Your loyalty will be questioned
It does not matter how good your relationship is with your employer, if you are receiving a counter-offer as a response to your resignation, your loyalty will be questioned as an employee both then and in the future.
Even if the job has room for promotions and professional growth, you probably will not be the first employee they pick at promotion time.
Resigning breaks the initial trust that was once there, and it will hinder future success at the job. So even if the counteroffer is a good deal, you are likely to progress more at a new job where you have not threatened to quit.
3. The job doesn't meet your long-term goals
People will often hand in resignations or look for jobs when their current position does not fit the picture they had for their ideal life or goals. If you accept a counteroffer, you could potentially be denying yourself your dream job.
When thinking of accepting a job offer or counteroffer, you should make sure that the position meets your long-term goals either now or in the future.
There is no point in investing time and energy into something you do not want to be doing for the rest of your life. So before you accept a counteroffer, think of why you wanted to quit in the first place. Is the job making you happy?
4. You have put yourself outside the circle of trust
If you hand in your resignation and your employer gives you a counteroffer, you will now be outside the circle of trust meaning further promotions are unlikely.
6. It Will Not Guarantee Job Satisfaction
People hand in resignations and look for new jobs when they are not satisfied with their current position. A counteroffer may give hope of better working conditions and salary, but statistics show that this is often not the case.
Around 50% of people who accept counteroffers leave for a new job within 12 months. Just because the offer may seem like a good option, it won’t guarantee job satisfaction down the line.
6. You could now be seen as an expendable asset
If you end up accepting a job counteroffer, your employer will always be questioning how long you will stay at the job since you were so willing to quit.
This could result in similar problems, as mentioned above, such as hindering your future success in the position. You are more likely to be viewed as expendable than other employees who have not handed in resignations.
7. Your employer might not be paying you enough anyway
A lot of counteroffers involve a pay raise, which may seem very tempting to accept if the higher salary if it is the main reason you handed in your resignation.
Before you agree to a counteroffer with a pay raise, it is crucial to question why you have not had a pay raise before.
8. It may be a long time before you get another raise
Think about it, if you were leaving your current employer because you felt you were not getting paid enough and the only way to get a raise was to offer your resignation then the odds of you getting a raise in the future are slim.
9. If times get tough you may be the first to go
If your current employer experiences hard times or if the economy, in general, gets bad they are more likely to hang on to employees who have shown loyalty rather than ones who have been job-shopping for another opportunity.
10. Counteroffers can be a stall tactic
Often employers will pay you more because they know it will only be for a short while. They will then start searching for a replacement who will take a lower salary with a similar skill set to yours.
Final Thought
So, we have established it's often a bad idea because it usually serves as a short-term solution that doesn't address the underlying reasons you considered leaving in the first place.
While a higher salary or new title might seem appealing, the trust between you and your employer may already be compromised, and your long-term growth could be limited. In many cases, employees who accept counteroffers leave within a year anyway, either due to lingering dissatisfaction or because your employer begins looking for your replacement.
Ultimately, staying put could delay your career progression and cause you to miss out on better opportunities elsewhere, so think twice about taking the easier option and the missed opportunity to move up the ladder of success!
