Counter-offer from your company: stay or go?
One question to ask yourself before you say yes to more money, and how to handle either decision well.
You resigned, and now your company wants you to stay with more money. Before you decide on a counter-offer: stay or go, look past the number.
Ask why you started looking
Write down the reasons you began your job search. If every reason was pay, and the counter-offer fixes it, staying can make sense. If the reasons were growth, your manager, the team or the work itself, more money rarely fixes them.
Questions to ask yourself
- Will my role or responsibilities change, or only my salary?
- Why did it take a resignation to get this raise?
- Will I be seen as a flight risk now?
- What did I promise the new employer, and how will they see it if I back out?
If you decide to stay
Get the new terms in writing, and agree on what changes beyond pay. Inform the new employer quickly and politely.
If you decide to go
Thank your manager, say you have committed to the new role, and keep the handover professional. You may want to work with these people again.
To compare the counter-offer with your new offer fairly, use the offer comparison calculator.
