I recently got an offer from another company and when I put in my 2 week knotice today, my employer made me a counter offer. Even though I still plan to leave and move on, can I call the new company up and try to get them to up their offer? Or is it once I have accepted, I should stick by my words? Im not sure how to handle this because I have never been given a counter offer before. Anyone been in the same situation?
I wouldn't advise renegotiating with your new company now. That deal is done. If you were to try, you'd risk falling between two stools: alienate your new company by asking for more money, keep your old job only long enough for your employer to find your replacement on their time-schedule.
Wow...that's an interesting dilemma. You take a seemingly better offer from another company only to have your current company make a counter offer. If all things were equal except the money, then you could stand to benefit financially just from shopping around finding a new, better job. Then, you just stay where your at and make more money than you would have at the new job or would have otherwise. I'm not sure I would play this against the company you accepted the offer from. I think it's too late at this point. I think, in order to benefit from the counter offer at the expense of the new company, you probably should have waited until you gave your two week notice prior to accepting the other offer. Then, you might have been in the position to have the company trying to lure you away to make a higher counter offer if they really wanted to. But, you say you would take the new job anyway but there is no reason either employer has to know that. If you played your cards right, then you could have profited from this. But, after you accepted their existing offer, I don't see any room for you to make a better deal with the new employer. I think if you tried that now...they may not want you anymore.
I read it's considered unethical to withdraw acceptance of an offer. It's proabably even worse to ask them for more money after they you already accepted their offer. If you wanted to leave your old job for reasons besides money, it's probably best to not take the counter offer since whatever made you want to leave in the first place would still be there. Also, the counter offer might be a desperation move because the company is too busy on a project or something to bring in a new guy. Afterwards, you'll also be looked at as being unloyal or greedy by your boss.
The # 3 rule of thumb in job seeking: Never accept a counter offer. (From a HR department friend of mine) But once you are safely in the new job, it's ok to "let your new employer knew you had a higher offer".
I dont know what kind of field you are in but in IT consulting I do that ALL the time. Playing the two against each other is the best way to make more money. I'd definitely, without hesitation, tell them about the counter offer. The thing you have to do is be able to cut your losses. If one of them balks, you have to be able to go to the one that doesnt. I'd put it up to the highest bidder but thats just me.
Accepted too soon? I would have thought about the original offer (if they gave me time to do so) and then presented that to my original employer, along with anyone else I was applying to. In a bidding game, you win. But like people said, at this point you're SoL. Gotta honor a deal you accepted.
yeah I think i accepted too early. I never thought my current employer would counter it because the new position is paying me 25% more than what I am making right now. The counter off is paying almost 1/3 more than what I am making. I never thought my current employer would even think about going that high.
Here is one take on why never to accept a counter-offer. http://blogs.msdn.com/heatherleigh/archive/2005/01/20/357795.aspx (fixed link) Google has links to top ten lists on this topic also. Let me add I agree with what Sam said. The best course of action would have been to get all your ducks in a row, one phone call away from accepting, then presenting it to your current employer. But if you don't like working there, I don't know if I would have wanted them to up the offer, and I still say no.
Your link returns an error, Clutch. I've used the threat of leaving to gain an increase in wages before. But, the job market was really good at the time. Plus, you have to feel your important and their losing something they can't easily make up via another person.
