Why a Counter Offer is not necessarily a good thing
June 8, 2017 3:07 pmWhy a Counter Offer is not necessarily a good thing.
So, you’ve been offered a counter offer by your company after you’ve told them you’ve had a job offer elsewhere. You may think that this shows your company values you, wants you to stay and shows an investment in your future.
Not necessarily…
Playing the counter offer game can end up with nobody winning and nobody getting what they want and need. Whether it’s the candidate, the employer or the recruiter, all three parties could end up feeling dissatisfied and sometimes disillusioned with the outcome.
The Employers perspective
Having a member of staff coming into the office to say they have had a job offer elsewhere, may force the hand of the employer to offer a counter offer. This may be done as a genuine gesture or as an exercise in buying time.
If it’s a genuine gesture then the employer may need to look at themselves in terms of how effective their communication channels are with their staff. Do they have effective appraisal or HR systems?
If it’s an exercise in buying time that means that the trust has gone from the employers perspective and it’s only a matter of time before that member of staff will be moved on. In fact statistics show that 90% of people who have accepted a counter offer from their company will be out of a job within a year.
The Candidates perspective
From the candidates perspective they tend to fall into a few areas. One is discontentment in the role, which is either genuine discontentment, or it is fuelled by a lack of communication, opportunity or support within the company itself.
If it’s the latter, then that person could find themselves eventually out of a job at their current company or changing jobs for reasons that could have been remedied with more effective communication within their present company.
The other reason is if the candidate is simply playing the game in terms of brokering the best deal for themselves. For the reasons outlined above, this never tends to end with the right result.
The Recruiters perspective
The recruiter tend to find themselves being used as leverage in the process either intentionally or unintentionally. This is frustrating for us as recruiters, as it wastes a lot of time and money. Generally recruiters work on a contingency basis, so we don’t get paid until the appointment is made. So a lot of time can be put into making the right appointment for no financial gain.
Recruiters will also lose credibility with the employers as there is a general feeling that the potential issues should have been flagged up throughout the process.
Open up the Communication channels
Opening up good lines of communication with your present employer, taking more time to be sure it’s the right decision for you. These are aspects that need strong consideration in an attempt to avoid getting embroiled in the counter offer scenario.
If you have any dissatisfaction in your current job, speak to your current employer first. Find out if your dissatisfaction can be resolved first. Exhaust all avenues before deciding if another job is the right move for you.
Employers should open up more accessible communication channels for their staff to find out if there is any job dissatisfaction. There should always be an open door policy with staff and this should be encouraged as company culture.
Better communication between companies and candidates will benefit recruiters, candidates and companies alike.
So if you are looking for a recruitment company that really does go that extra mile, give us a call on 0844 2642554
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This post was written by Lea Consultancy