Remember how dead-set on leaving you were? Well your boss might be about to test your resolve – in the form of a counter-offer.

This offer may still not be enough for you to reconsider, so where is the harm in looking it over? It will indicate how much your boss values you at the company, so you should always consider one seriously. This could come in the form of a pay increase, a change in job role or department, or a promotion.

HOWEVER, don’t forget why you are in this unique position in the first place. Consider the following before your head is turned and you find yourself back at your desk!

Ask yourself: how difficult will it be to replace me? Is the prospect of having to find the next ‘you’ the reason they would rather just get the chequebook out?

Also, how much money will it cost the company to replace you? On average it costs £7000 to replace a vital member of staff - inclusive of recruitment fees and the stretch of the workforce to cover -  making a pay rise of a couple of thousand pounds a relatively easy pill for management to swallow.  

So if you have been offered an immediate pay rise, when can you expect another one? It's unlikely that having paid you more than they would like in order to keep you, you will also get a good increase. Bosses expect staff to jump at the first sign of more money (the primary motivation for most) but sticking to your guns and staying cool will really force their hand. If they really want you to stay the incentive package must be as attractive as they can muster – if money is your deciding factor.

If management are offering you a change of position, don't be fooled by the proclamations of grandiose titles and roles. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Your boss is trying to appease you in the short term to give the company chance to create a contingency plan.

Studies suggest that after a resignation, employee confidence is dented and others in the workforce start to contemplate their own future. A colleague may have considered resigned and has been emboldened by your departure. Management must also take this into consideration, or they might have to double the cost of replacements.

Using the threat of resignation (however serious you are about carrying it out) will not be forgotten by management. Okay, they gave you a better role and more money in the immediacy – but your perceived lack of loyalty can be seen as extortion, and your future job security might be under threat. You may have wished to resign under the very best intentions and genuinely been talked down; but this is a lesson as to why you shouldn’t invoke the ‘r’-word unless you will definitely be clearing out your desk.

So under no circumstance should you be flattered, persuaded or even coerced to the point of staying put. Remember what made you look for a new role in the first place. For this reason, it is vital that you give careful consideration to a move at the very start – and if you hand in your resignation (as opposed to simply constructively expressing dissatisfaction) then no counter-offer should sway you. You may regret it if you do. 

Remember: if you simply want to improve your standing in the company, speak constructively to your boss about the opportunity to progress. Never threaten to resign, and only formally offer your resignation when you are totally committed to leaving the company.
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