Over the last 12 months, I have seen more counteroffers coming through for candidates who have taken notice to their employers than I have ever seen before. I have actually seen more counteroffers accepted over this period, compared to the last 5 years put together.

While counteroffers can be incredibly beneficial for you, the employee, it can be tricky for you to make the final decisions when it comes to being stuck between a new role that you have been passionate and excited about throughout the interview process, and staying comfortable in your current role with the new offering.

It can make you forget the main reasons why you were initially wanting to find a new position, with a new company, because this new shiny counteroffer has come through that may make you feel more appreciated in your current position, without the need to move to a new one.

While I could state all the statistics that have come through on various surveys across lots of industries over the years, which I am sure some are accurate and some are slightly elaborate to suit recruiters, I wanted to share with you the experience I had last year when it came to counteroffers.

95% of the candidates that I offered received counteroffers in 2021. With this experience – this means you undoubtedly will too.

What are the different types of counteroffers?

To some candidates, the counteroffer can sometimes feel like a no-brainer. Add in the feeling of guilt for leaving, it often feels easier to remain in situ and burn your bridges with the new employer in the ambitious position they wanted to go to.

However, counteroffers aren’t just financial. From better benefits, to working from home options they never thought were possible, to countless other options that perhaps, as an employee, didn’t even know were options – because they hadn’t spoken to their current employer about their issues in their current position.

Ask yourself why you want to leave your current role

Before you take yourself through the rigmarole of preparation, interviews, and getting to know the potential team you will be joining and getting excited about that new position, take the time to consider why you are wanting to leave. When you ask yourself what your motivations really are when it comes to finding a new role, then you are in a better position to know what to do next.

While for many, the culture, team, and potentially even the progression are the reasons you want to leave which cannot be changed, there are also financial reasons, benefits, work/life balance options, and other reasons that potentially can be. These elements, however, cannot be decided if you haven’t spoken with your manager.

Speak with your manager before you look for new roles

For some reason, many feel it’s easier to seek a new role than have a simple conversation with their manager about their issues. However, you must realise the impact this can have on all other parties, and it is your responsibility to consider other avenues before you go on this journey. You need to take time to discuss these things with your employer.

As difficult and as awkward as it may seem, it will ultimately be a much better and time-efficient option than going through months of job hunting, to get the offer, hand in your notice, and then find out your employer would have been able to help you receive those changes you were initially wanting to achieve at the very beginning!

Before you start looking for a job through a recruitment consultant or direct to the company, you need to ask these questions to your current employer. This will help you to prevent yourself from wasting your time, burning any future bridges, and giving your employer the opportunity to give you a higher salary, reviewing your bonus, considering work-life balance options – whatever it was that you initially decided were the reasons for wanting to leave.

This enables you to commit to leaving, should your employer not provide solutions to your reasons for wanting to leave. When they inevitably counteroffer with you, having known your issues prior to you starting your job search and not looking at ways to suit your needs, you will know that that counteroffer is purely because they are going to struggle to replace you, and not because they want you on their team.

Deciding to change jobs is a big step in your career, and with most of the candidates I work with, there are multiple reasons for why they want to leave their current job. It is a huge waste of time and resources when professionals do not see the process through to a successful conclusion, therefore, you need to always be 100% committed before starting this process.

If you have taken these steps above, and feel you will not be satisfactorily catered for in the role you are in, and want to move to a new opportunity in 2022, please get in touch.