Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I finally quit my job and now they’re attempting to tempt me again’
Reader Shalina was shocked to be offered a pay rise and a better job title when she handed in her notice – but should she accept? Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
It’s not often you get a nice surprise at work(Image: Getty Images)
Dear James
I handed in my notice last week after months of feeling underpaid and overlooked. My boss was shocked and has now, finally, offered me a decent pay rise, a better job title and promises that things will change if I stay.
I hadn’t expected any of that, and I’ll admit it has made me wobble a bit. The extra money would certainly help, and starting somewhere new is always a risk.
But I also can’t help wondering why none of this was possible until I said I was leaving! Should I accept the counteroffer?
Shalina, Southampton
Oh, they can be tempting, Shalina, that’s for sure. You’ve spent ages feeling taken for granted, then the moment you head for the door everybody suddenly realises how valuable you actually are.
‘We thought you were great all along, honestly’(Image: Getty Images)
There’s money on the table, kind words from the boss and even a new job title conjured up before teatime.
I wouldn’t reject it automatically, no. But I would look at it with a fairly cold eye…
Why did you decide to leave in the first place? If it was mainly money, and the new offer genuinely fixes that, then, yes, staying may be perfectly sensible. You don’t have to move.
But if the trouble was actually the boss, the atmosphere, broken promises, lack of respect or a job you’d grown to dislike, then a pay rise may cheer you up for about a fortnight and then you’re back in the same building with the same people and the same problems.
There’s one more thing I’d keep in the back of my mind: Your employer now knows you were ready to go. Most will behave properly about that, but some will start planning for the next time.
So don’t be dazzled by the sudden fuss. Ask for the offer in writing, take a day or two to think it over, and remember what Monday morning felt like before anyone whipped out the chequebook.
Top Tip:
Write down the reasons you wanted to leave before considering any counteroffer. If the offer fixes only the salary and leaves everything else untouched then be very wary.
Make sure you remember why you were planning to leave(Image: Getty Images)
Spotlight On: Counteroffers
Counteroffers can be wonderfully flattering, particularly after a long period in which nobody appeared to notice you at all. Suddenly there are meetings, concerned faces and solemn assurances that your future matters enormously.
One does wonder where all this enthusiasm was hiding before. Sometimes the offer is sincere. Replacing an experienced employee is expensive and troublesome, and a manager may genuinely have underestimated how unhappy you were.
But promises made during a minor panic have a habit of becoming rather hazy once the resignation letter has been withdrawn. The new responsibilities take longer than expected. The new job title needs approval. The pay rise arrives, but the old irritations remain exactly where you left them.
If you stay, then make sure you’re accepting something concrete, not merely a warm conversation and some enthusiastic nods of the head.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
