Timeline for How can you say you don't trust your current employer's counteroffer?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
17 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2021 at 13:54 | comment | added | Barry DeCicco | Somebody on the internet once said that they tried to track down a source for the factoid that most people accepting a counteroffer leave/get fired in less than a year. In the end he could only find recruiters a source for this. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 19:56 | comment | added | Frank Hopkins | @Brian anyway, we've gone enough off the rails, I'm out of this discussion here, maybe there'll be a question that fits for a full answer in that direction at some point, if there ain't yet already. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 19:51 | comment | added | Frank Hopkins | @Brian I really don't see a problem in that. A rational company needs to have a bus factor plan anyway, so me leaving with a notice period isn't a big deal. But again, part of this might be regional. In regions where you have no / very short notice periods some employers might be a bit more scared about the prospect of someone quitting. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 19:49 | comment | added | Frank Hopkins | @Brian Well, that's mainly a communication issue. Sure if you make it sound like blackmail it's not gonna emotionally go down well. But if you with "hey Jack, I didn't have a raise in X and I guess I'm under market value, at least I got this offer worth Y, I really need to consider that financially. Can we do something about it to match that?" that's more like a reasonable request to update the salary to standards where the standard is backed up by a concrete offer. Managers are always asking what you want, well here you have someone that puts a concrete number on the table. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:07 | comment | added | Brian | @FrankHopkins: Of course everyone is willing to leave given the right opportunity. The issue is that an employee who actually finds another job has demonstrated an especially high willingness to leave. Going to a manager and saying, "give me a raise or I quit" is a very aggressive threat. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 17:58 | comment | added | Frank Hopkins | @Brian Basically everyone is willing to leave (given the right opportunity), assuming otherwise is naive. And in "family" companies where the majority isn't actively looking and loves everyone it's also easy to convince that a proper counter-offer solves the problem that made them want to leave. Are there counter-examples, probably. Again, never seen any indication for such behaviour but in the other direction definitely. So at the very least it might be a regional/type of job etc thing. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 15:38 | comment | added | Brian | @FrankHopkins: Later firing a person who was given a counter-offer is very rational. An employer who intends to quit but is retained via a counter-offer has already shown that they are willing to leave. So, giving such counteroffers is generally an unreliable means of retaining employees. On the other hand, it's a great strategy to ensure that the employee sticks around long enough to complete any pending projects, especially if the raise described in the counter-offer is not guaranteed. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 15:28 | comment | added | computercarguy | @FrankHopkins, the fact that they aren't going to guarantee a promotion, a raise, or anything and the wait is several months says that they don't really value the person and the offer is an absolute minimum effort to keep them around. And that attempt is more of an ego thing than a business move. IME, that means the management is going to see the OP as less "loyal" and more likely to be the first to be let go for literally any reason upper management bothers to come up with. | |
| Jun 1, 2020 at 20:26 | comment | added | employee-X | @FrankHopkins While I can't tell whose experience is more applicable or valuable, I would contend that most companies have personalities shaped by their leadership --- good or otherwise. | |
| Jun 1, 2020 at 15:41 | comment | added | Frank Hopkins | @Nelson most companies act rational. Firing a person they value enough to make a counter-offer isn't rational. I've never seen this happening, but on the contrary know of cases where a person after a counter-offer stayed for years or where people were taken back after leaving for few months. Can it happen, sure. But this 9 out of 10 is either pulled from air or very regional. | |
| Jun 1, 2020 at 13:44 | comment | added | Andrew Leach | "I've learned some valuable lessons" -- including how to interpret loosely-worded offers. | |
| Jun 1, 2020 at 12:22 | comment | added | Fattie | This is surely the correct answer. And @Nelson's point is key. | |
| Jun 1, 2020 at 1:08 | comment | added | Nelson | @IllusiveBrian I'll bet you 9 times out of 10 the company that offers the counter-offer will be gearing up to fire said person within 6 months. They won't give a rat's tail about burning bridges the other way. | |
| May 31, 2020 at 16:45 | comment | added | Deepak | This is a good answer, and I agree with this a lot more than I do with the answer(s) recommending you don't bother with a reply at all. That may be construed as dismissive and/or "ungrateful" by petty-minded managers. So I would definitely reply. Probably add some platitudes about how you've learned some valuable lessons from colleagues and supervisors in the current place and are most grateful, blah blah, which will soften the blow further - best chance of "saving bridges" (to coin an expression). In answer to the OP question, never bring loaded phrases like "lack of trust" into any letter. | |
| May 31, 2020 at 16:40 | comment | added | IllusiveBrian | If you give a neutral answer like this and you still "burn bridges," those bridges were going to be burned no matter what you said. | |
| May 31, 2020 at 2:21 | comment | added | user61034 | You may even omit the name of company B. | |
| May 31, 2020 at 1:09 | history | answered | Egor | CC BY-SA 4.0 |