Employer’s counteroffer – will you accept it?

You’ve made the decision to leave your job, you’ve accepted a new offer, you’re resigning, and your current employer puts a counteroffer on the table.

In most cases, the offer is purely financial and trumps the offer received in a new place of work. Very often, in addition, the employer appreciates your efforts, notices your commitment, announces a promotion in a short time, and even offers it here and now.

The fundamental question in this situation is – why does the employee leave?

The motivation of the employer making the counteroffer is obvious:
📍 He is motivated by the actual desire to keep competence in the organization.
📍 He wants to gain the time he needs to find a replacement.
📍 He is aware of the costs he will have to incur when recruiting a new person.

According to Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, and LinkedIn reports, 80% of those who accept a counteroffer leave their workplace within 6 months. Another few percent leave within 18 months.

I would like to ask two questions:

  1. Will you accept the counteroffer or will you leave because your reasons for leaving have not changed at all?
  2. Why do employees accept a counteroffer and what does it mean for their further career in the organization and professional satisfaction?
Monika Ciesielska
President at IMSA Search Global Partners. An experienced consultant in the recruitment of the management staff, including board members, and a leader of the recruiting team in the IT/Tech area. Enthusiast of digital transformation of HR processes. Podcaster at "Skrzydlaty HR" and "Top Leaders Club".
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