Counter Offer Rule
Counter Offer Rule
New Rule -- (actually an Old Rule, but some people seem to have forgotten it!): Once you accept an offer, you need to stop interviewing! This one seemed so basic to me that I thought I'd never have to actually put it in writing. The purpose of an interview is to get a job offer and once you've accepted an offer, you need to stop interviewing everywhere else. That means not negotiating with your existing employer, either. Accepting an offer means you have given your word either verbally or in writing and hence are no longer available to other employers. We have had the uncomfortable experience several times in recent months of having a candidate accept an offer in writing, negotiate a later start date, and relo expenses afterward and then just weeks before his start date, decide to stay at his current job instead because the counter-offer from his existing firm was "too great to say no". This candidate has demonstrated to the firm he accepted with and to his current employer that his word means nothing! Should you choose to seek a counter offer (and it would take an entire separate column to explain why you should not), do it before you accept the other firm's offer.
Likewise, a candidate who accepts an offer but then continues to look for "something better", is doing something that is as equally bad. I would be surprised if either of these candidates would want the same rule applied to them. If, after they had resigned from their jobs and just before starting their new jobs, the prospective employer said "Sorry, but we kept looking after you accepted our offer and found someone better, so we're not going to honor our job offer to you.", I'll bet there would be a lot of whining! An ability to honor one's word is a trait that is universally respected in business, government and life. Enduring happiness and success is impossible without it.
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Comments
Actually while I agree with
Actually while I agree with most of what you are saying, I have actually known people who had companies essentially do what you talk about... keep looking after they were hired and find someone else either better or cheaper and then let them go or back out of an offer. In a few other cases companies have backed out of written offers because of financial reasons, etc.
All that said, I'm old fashioned in ways and I'd never back out on a job that I'd accepted like that -- the shortest time I ever worked somewhere was 9 months and I felt a little guilty about leaving there so soon but that opportunity found me I wasn't looking for it, and it really was too good a deal to pass up. I have on several cases turned down offers or asked prospective employers for more if I had multiple offers to consider (like that ever happens anymore :-( ) but I've never asked a current employer for a counter offer though -- I know why you shouldn't ask for or consider one.
Unfortunately the way the world is today it often seems like nobody's word means what it used to anymore. Most companies treat employees like expendable assets, and therefore can't really expect much loyalty in return. While I don't advocate promiscuous job-hopping, these days everyone always needs to be thinking about what their next opportunity might be, because any one of us could be laid off tomorrow.
I just put in my 3 week
I just put in my 3 week notice on January 22nd. I got another offer with a law firm as CIO / Director of IT. Two days later the CEO called me into her office and gave me great counter offer.
I stood my ground and said no thank you. This Monday she gave me another counter with a two year guaranteed contract. At his point I was tired of thinking about it and doing the pros' and cons' of both jobs, I just said yes.
I never told the other yet, because I am still having second thoughts. Very confusing, but it’s my own fault for saying yes. I feel my loyalty has been bought and what kind of person am I to go back to the other company and say "I decided to stay"
I wouldn't put much credence
I wouldn't put much credence into the 2 year guaranteed contract. Companies can always find a way to weasel out of that sort of thing. You have to do what you think is right, but you've been warned about the dangers of counter offers.
Sounds like you are in a great deal of demand, I am quite jealous.
It is everyones
It is everyones responsibility to manage their own career.
I agree that in a perfect world, a potential employer and a potential employee would meet, agree a package and live happily ever after BUT this is the real world. The employment market today is a cruel place and everyone in it has to manage their own career as best they can for their own benefit. In most states the deck is stacked against the employee (at will termination policies, corporations willing to reduce benefits etc) and employers do not consistently operate in the best interests of their employees. You are playing with peoples real lives here and it is the responsibility of each individual to look out for themselves.
Gary - if you can guarantee your company has never knowingly kept one candidate waiting while you wait on the acceptance from another, has never negotiated below market rates for a employee who didn't know what they were worth, has never managed down benefits to save money or let someone go because of politics rather than their ability to do a job then you can have your point - otherwise put up with a little inconvenience from a prospect who managed to negotiate himself a better deal than you were willing to pay.
While I would absolutely
While I would absolutely agree that it is everyone’s responsibility to manage their own career I do think that integrity should be high on one's list of personal attributes. Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes there are many cases where a candidate is on hold for the acceptance of another but as far as negotiating below market rates for candidates is something that a supply and demand curve will take care of on its own. Headhunters as a general rule love to find candidates that are underpaid in their markets because it is much easier to land those people than those that are at market or above. I am not talking about inconvenience here what I am talking about is personal ethics, integrity and standing apart from the misguided companies and people!
If you work every day at self improvement and growing your abilities your relative worth in any profession will always go up and then the only thing that matters is one’s character. If you have both skill and character you will always come out ahead!
After about 5 years in the
After about 5 years in the workforce after college graduation, I found myself wanting to move into another job type that was better suited to my professional interests. However, I was unable to make the transition internally because I was "too valuable" in my current position. Unfortunately, the type of job I desired was one where previous experience was demanded; in other words, I encountered a chicken and the egg scenario such that landing an external opportunity was nearly impossible. That said, I was approached by another company who agreed to transition me (over a few years) into my desired role, and at a higher salary. Since that was better than the deal at my current employer, I accepted.
When I submitted my 2 weeks notice at my current employer, I heard nothing for the 8 work-days leading up to my last day. On day #8 I was summoned to a manager's office to talk about why I was leaving. Long story short, they ended up counter-offering me with a job in my desired role, starting the following week, while matching the higher salary.
I indeed felt that I should stand by my original acceptance of the external opportunity, and I stated this. My manager responded [to a young me] that this was purely a business decision on my part - doing what was best for my career....and the other company should understand that, and in fact congratulate me. I did want to stay, given I would start in the new position the following week. So upon advisement, I called the external company the following day, and un-accepted the offer. To my amazement, they indeed were congratulatory, and happy I found exactly what I was looking for, with no hard feelings. In fact, by happenstance I met the manager with whom I interviewed in HEB some months later, and though initially I felt awkward, indeed there were no issues.
Now, applying this real world experience to the blog post, my current employer stalled with a counter-offer until the last minute. This obviously put me in a precarious position, and this inevitably caused some problems on the external company's end. In addition, I did not alert my current company about my intention to leave until I accepted the offer from the other company. There is no way I would alert my current company that I was in negotiations with an external company; if the negotiations fell through for some reason, I would be next in line for layoff. The only way my company could counter-offer is when I had already accepted a new offer. Thus, I could not have all options in front of me until I already accepted the external offer.
My 2 cents,
Matt
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I'm curious of why you
I'm curious of why you should never consider a counter from your current employer? My husband is doing just that.
Because in most cases an
Because in most cases an employer will just do that so they can extract what information they want, find a replacement, train the replacement on their time table and then lay off the original employee at an inopportune time for them. Even if they don't do that, usually all the trust is gone, and they will often just heap all the crap work they can on the employee in order to "get their money's worth". Generally they will then stiff the employee on future raises in an effort to try to minimize over time the amount extra they had to pay due to the counter offer. It is just all around bad and I've heard of cases where the workplace was borderline hostile (more passive-aggressive I guess you'd say) towards the employee.
I would say the biggest
I would say the biggest reason why you should not do it is because a counter offer is only being done to keep you from leaving at that particular moment when it is in your best interest vs. theirs. If they really felt you were worth what they are now offering they would have made those adjustments before having a gun put to their head. Usually, the reasons for deciding to leave will come back over time and cause the person to leave anyway within a year or so.
I would not do it period!
I would not do it period! You told the other law firm you were coming. You told your current boss thank you. She has no choice but to give you this great 2 year deal but she won't ever forget it. In the meanwhile I am sure your acceptance of this counter offer will get around the Austin legal circles and you will do nothing but limit your marketablility in the future. I doubt your current situation will change to the degree she is saying it will long term. You should close the loop by saying you have reconsidered and your conscious tells you you accpeted the other deal and you can't destroy your integrity by reversing your decision based on a last minute counter-offer. My guess is that she will respect you more long term and your value will be even greater 2 yrs from now in her mind. If she does not you can find someone to work for that understands real loyalty better than she does. I am sure if she was the one that landed you and then you backed out she would not think highly of you, nor will the rest of the law firms in town if and when they hear about it.
I absolutely agree, Gary.
I absolutely agree, Gary.
To fellow candidates:
If you have questions about the interview process and/or the environment of the company, you should ask a recruiter; one who is truly passionate about what we do.
You will find that the majority truly care about people and the advice we deliver is to guide you in your career.
How do you find a good
How do you find a good recruiter? Know any?
I've run into a few...
I've run into a few... unfortunately even a good recruiter is of little use when there are no decent jobs available.
Patrick Bruner, Technical
Patrick Bruner, Technical Recruiter at APEX. pbruner@apexsystemsinc.com.
Good Luck.
I've had a few good
I've had a few good recruiters. Is there a good website that just deals with Austin recruiters? That would be a good site for someone to build if it doesn't yet exist.
Feel free to contact me at
Feel free to contact me at any time, I would be more than happy to assist you with a search.
I pride myself on building relationships for a solid connection between a hiring manager and candidate.
Brooke Anderson
Modis IT
brooke.anderson@modisit.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/banderson
Email sent.
Email sent.
Take a look at my resume and
Take a look at my resume and tell me what you think it needs ok?
Will do!! Thank you
Will do!!
Thank you
http://www.linkedin.com/in/banderson
Why haven't you found me a
Why haven't you found me a contract yet?
I said I was good at
I said I was good at connecting; not God! :)
OK OK I'll stick with you.
OK OK I'll stick with you. You've been good to me so far.