The Boss Break Down - Why do bosses push the counter offer?

Expect the counter job offer. 

Whatever reason you give yourself for exiting a job and seeking new employment, your current employer may attempt to hold on to you.

The counter job offer can be one of the most flattering, all consuming and deliberately misdirecting things a boss can do. It can send you down a spiral of doubt about accepting your new job and fill you with confidence that your current employer has merely forgotten or not seen your worth through being too busy. 

Recruiters across the country may not treat all clients the same, or view the industry as another does, but we are all united in decrying the counter offer as a terrible managerial decision that no candidate should ever take, no matter how good the offer is. 

To fully understand why it’s such a bad idea to accept a counter job offer, it’s best to mine the thought patterns, psychology and methodology of your boss, and why they believe a counter offer is the right thing to do. 

There are a variety of primary reasons why employers put a counter job offer on the table, and a whole host of personnel, company-specific reasons why a counter job offer may fit the bill.

But the main counter offer retorts are the following:

• The Cost of Hiring is too expensive to countenance, and the added promotion, benefit structure or increase in bonus scheme to meet your new role is cheaper in comparison to reaching into the talent marketing to find someone new. 
• Moving jobs is stressful, routines are upset, new relationships have to be forged - your boss knows this and will take advantage of your familiarity with their systems, product and services to tempt you to stay, like a twisted version of “the easy life”.
• They actually do really value you, they need you to stay and have made a huge mistake in undervaluing you...and forgot to do anything about it.

Note that none of these are particularly positive, in fact they hint at a management culture of manipulation, lack of interest and cost-prohibitive hiring choices. That is what you’d be accepting if you were to take a counter offer. 

Paul Hawkinson, in his piece in the National Business Employment Weekly highlighted the following as par-for-the-course statements and questions made by bosses in context of receiving a resignation letter and justifying a counter job offer:

“This couldn’t happen at a worse time.” 

“This is one of my best people. If I let him quit now, it’ll wreak havoc on the morale of the department.” 

“I’ve already got one opening in my department. I don’t need another right now.” 

“I’m working as hard as I can, and I don’t need to do his work, too.” 

“If I lose another good employee, the company might decide to ‘lose’ me, too.” 

“My review is coming up and this will make me look bad.”

 “Maybe I can keep him on until I find a suitable replacement.”

“I’m really shocked. I thought you were as happy with us as we are with you. Let’s discuss it before you make your final decision.” 

“Aw gee, I’ve been meaning to tell you about the great plans we have for you. But they have been confidential until now.” 

“The V.P. has you in mind for some exciting and expanding responsibilities.”

“Your raise was scheduled to go into effect next quarter but we’ll make it effective immediately.”

“You’re going to work for who?”

Let’s face it. When someone quits, it’s a direct reflection on the boss. Unless you’re really incompetent or a destructive thorn in his side, the boss might look bad by “allowing” you to go. His gut reaction is to do what has to be done to keep you from leaving until he’s ready. That’s human nature.

The counter offer is not about you - it’s about your boss, and their ability to keep the operational status quo.