Picture this: for whatever reason, you make the decision that you’re ready for a new challenge and you set out to secure a new role. Once you find something, you accept the offer and prepare to resign. You approach your boss with your letter of resignation in hand, ready to discuss your notice period and finish up. Then your boss throws you a curve ball by putting a counteroffer on the table. It doesn’t always happen, but you need to know what to do if it does.
Why don’t you just think about it?
Chances are, you’ve thought about this decision for some time, and you wouldn’t resign without having 100% confidence in your decision. Don’t allow your boss to confuse you.
Don’t go!
Some managers will simply beg you not to leave. They will make promises, plead and give you compelling reasons to stay. Some might try to manipulate you by saying things like, “I can’t do it without you” or “how will we manage?”. They might say things to make you feel important and worthy to encourage you to stay. Be careful and don’t agree on anything on the spot.
Promises
It’s important to stick to your guns, because you may find that the discussion turns to why you’re leaving. Next thing, your boss is promising that things will change with a counteroffer. The counteroffer might match or even exceed the pay at the new job. If that’s the main reason you’re quitting, consider accepting the counteroffer to stay. If the reason you are leaving involves more than salary, you’ll probably still want to resign. When considering a counteroffer, keep in mind what your reasons were for pursuing another job in the first place. Taking salary aside for a moment, the new position could offer more flexibility, training or travel opportunities. Some bosses might use those promises to make a counteroffer, and sometimes they will honour these promises.
In summary, we suggest focusing on the new job’s benefits, instead of your current employer’s promises, and always get the offer in writing before you accept. Read more on this topic at Lifehacker here.
Teamrecruit is Australia’s most established recruitment agency specialising in truck, earthmoving and agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Find out more about Teamrecruit and how we support employers and candidates in the dealership industry.
