I’ve heard recruiters shed a tear every time you reject your “Perfect Offer” when your current company counters with more money and you take it.
They should. You should, too.
That counteroffer is a sham.
By the time you get to sit down in your managers office and hand them your neatly written/typed resignation letter, you’ve gone through a lot of steps and emotions. You’ve probably spent a few months at least thinking about changing jobs, more months actually in the search, and you’ve finally found this great position.
Even if you haven’t spent months looking, thanks to your network, you’ve clearly had some thought about it before making the decision to give that 2-weeks notice.
Then your company hits you with the, “What, why? What can we do to keep you? Is it about the money? Let me talk to Dave, we might be able to give you X amount pay raise.”
But, is it really just about the money? The money your company all of a sudden has available to shove out for you to stay, might I add, even though you’ve deserved it for months now?
“An apology without change is just manipulation” – unknown
A counteroffer isn’t a negotiation on the part of your employer to give you more money, its a plea from the company you’ve dedicated much of your time to while your needs went unmet because, “We just don’t have it in the budget this year.”
This isn’t negotiating your pay before you get the job. At this point, you have a good understanding of your role, the company, and the key players involved. Those key players who’ve been promising to do something to improve the company and have been falling short. The same key players who’ve been saying they’ll get back to you about providing assistance for you to have professional development and you’re still hearing crickets.
Some people may have made the decision to leave their current company because they aren’t receiving the pay they deserve and with this announcement to leave, your company is now promising to give you that money. But, do you really want to stay at a company that only values you when you have one foot out the door?
That counteroffer of money won’t change the mental abuse you’re experiencing in the workplace. It won’t make the dread of going into work any easier. It won’t take away the fact that you’re bored to tears and not making a difference for yourself or the employees. Sure, that pay raise looks good in the moment, but will it last?
No one knows exactly when you should leave your job, except you. Some people can put up with a lot more than others. Some people believe they have a duty to the organization … funny how the organization only feels a duty to you when they don’t feel like going through the hassle of hiring someone else and training them.
Counteroffers suck because no matter how much money they throw your way, if they don’t put a plan in place to make changes, to listen to the issues you’re seeing, to acknowledge what has been done to get you to the point of turning in your notice, they don’t amount to anything.
It’s 2019, we deserve more from the organizations that we spend majority of our time at than a last minute pay raise that should have been in place from the very beginning.
I love making money and being able to pay my bills and do things. The paycheck to paycheck lifestyle will can leave you sacrificing your mental health time and time again. Everyone doesn’t get to make the decision to stay or go, based on the amount of money they are being offered. Just remember that protecting your peace should also be part of the equation when you’re making the final decision.
Counteroffers suck, pay me what I’m worth from the jump.
Until Next Time …
HRJazzy 