Counter Offer From My Boss

I just told my boss that I'm leaving to take another job. He asked me what I wanted in order to stay. He's offered to match the salary I'll be getting with the new company. My wife thinks I should stay here, but I don't see any real upward career path here. I need to give them an answer this week. My new job is supposed to start on Monday. From your perspective, what should I do?

I have some very definite opinions on counter offers. The short answer: it's never a good idea to accept a counter offer. There are several reasons for this:

1. You've already gone on record as wanting to leave. If your company's results begin to falter and layoffs are part of the recovery plan, your name will likely be near the top of the list. After all, you've already expressed a desire to leave.



2. Future promotions are in jeopardy because you've been disloyal to the organization.



3. Your reasons for wanting to leave are still there. While they have offered a short term fix by increasing your compensation, what do you think will happen when your annual review comes around?



4. You need to question why you're getting something you want, only when you've decided to leave. Why weren't you worth this extra compensation before you resigned?

Counter offers are sometimes hard to turn down. You are a known commodity in your current organization. Chances are your reputation is established and you really don't need to prove yourself day in and day out. In a new organization, you'll need to work to establish credibility and to gain the respect of your peers and your boss.

Likewise, you know what to expect from your current company. You understand the corporate culture and the politics. You never really know an organization until you work there. What were they not telling you on the interview?

If you've done your homework on the new organization - you understand the company's financial results and prospects - and believe that this is a good next step in your career, stick to your decision.

The benefits in this case are worth the risk.

Counter offers tend to sour pretty quickly. The short term gains are easily forgotten when expectations on both sides are not met.

For more information, see our section on counter offers.