quiting a job

“WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER”

– How to handle counter offers

After great thought and mental anguish, after pondering the pros and cons, you have made up your mind. You began a job search in earnest or listened to opportunities that you believed represented a better situation than you currently have. You are going to resign but are surprised and maybe even quite flattered to be given a counter offer by your current employer. Your current employer may offer better pay, better working conditions, better benefits and a sincere apology for not valuing you more highly when faced with the reality of losing you. BEWARE!! CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES, EFFECTS OF ACCEPTING A COUNTER OFFER AND RESCINDING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEW JOB.

Breaking up is really, really hard to do! Resigning from a job is probably the closest thing we will ever do as grownups that repeats high school. Do you remember breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend when you were young? Have you ever heard a significant other say, “Please don’t leave me. I will change.” Most of us learned that the only problem is that nothing every changed for long. Well, history repeats itself!

First, what will be the effects of deciding to stay with your current employer? You might initially feel relief that you do not have to leave your comfort zone. You might feel that you are finally truly appreciated. AGAIN BEWARE!! It’s all just business baby. Your current boss will now perceive you differently. She/he may privately resent you and question your loyalty. The counter offer may just be the way the boss buys some very valuable time to find a more loyal, qualified candidate. There is a huge likelihood that your boss will start looking for your replacement at a cheaper salary and just use you to bide the time until that replacement is found.

There are other situations which may arise after you have accepted the counter offer. You may find yourself under suspicion of interviewing for another job whenever you need to take time off. When there is time for promotions, you may not be considered because you almost left the company. Sadly, management often rewards blind loyalty. You may find yourself first on the list for layoffs and reductions in force.

Statistics show that 75 – 90% of those who accept counter offers quit within 6 months or are terminated within one year. Other considerations – coworkers may resent you. And those are just the repercussions of accepting the counter offer. Consider yourself bought off. Will anything really change? Was it just a better salary you were looking for?

Now consider the consequences of rescinding the offer you accepted when you resigned from your current employer. Your value was already established with the new company who thought you were worth more or saw your potential and chose to invest in that potential. The company that “you left at the altar” is expecting you and has cancelled their search, sent Dear John letters to the candidates that were not chosen, arranged for your training and purchased your new equipment and set up your email address. Your revocation of the offer will quite likely burn bridges with other prospective employers. Never doubt that negative press spreads like wildfire in tight niche spaces.

Accepting an offer and then getting cold feet can have a snowball effect on your reputation. Many times the acceptance of an offer of employment is a legally binding contract that holds you responsible for losses the company may suffer due to your actions.

You – the job candidate can become branded as unreliable and such reputations have a way of “getting around” in the business world as well as with the network of recruiters in your space. Relationships with clients and colleagues suffer. You may find yourself not put forward for other positions that you may have been suited for.

THINK !! Before you ever present your resignation letter, go back and make a list of everything that dissatisfies you with your current position. Read it several times before you present the letter. Make sure you understand exactly why you no longer want to stay with your current employer and be prepared for a possible counter offer. Remember, sometimes people get fired and sometimes people fire their employer. If you make the decision that it is time to move on then stand your ground, don’t be swayed by promises, and resign in style.

Quitters never win and winners never quit – Hmm not exactly, but quitting your job is one of the most difficult life decisions you ever make and should involve a great deal of soul searching and planning.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

The next best thing to quitting your job is fantasying about quitting your job. I have never met anyone who at some point in his or her career has not quit a job or explored the possibilities of doing so – not surprising since our business is the task of finding and attracting the top talent to our clients. If everyone was perfectly satisfied with their job, we wouldn’t have one!

Some tips before making this hugely important decision: Make sure it is really what you want to do. Weigh the options of a new job (and we absolutely recommend you have one before you quit), with your current one. Warning: if you have no new job on the horizon, you will mostly likely have a lengthier search. It is true that is easier to find a job when you have one. Consider flexibility, salary and benefits, responsibilities, opportunities to advance and not just salary when evaluating a new opportunity.

Once you have made sure that resigning from your job is really what you want to do, do it the right way with class and professionalism. Sure part of the job leaving fantasy involves telling off an obnoxious boss, going for the dramatic exit (You won’t have me to kick around anymore you arrogant, incompetent, airhead, bastard/biddy, bonehead, ding dong, jerk, zilch, zero, windbag. Oh man, the names you could use but DON’T DO IT.

Getting it off your chest feels so good in your fantasy, but again, DON’T DO IT. Have the fun of thinking it, and then consider the necessary steps to leaving your current job in a professional manner that will insure you receive a positive recommendation and leave bosses and coworkers alike thinking you are a “class act.”

Todd Defren, CEO of SHIFT Communications writes an open letter to workers who are planning to quit a job. Defren thinks that a graceful exit from the workplace is a lost art, particularly among millennials. His suggestions include making a plan to be positive. Try to put yourself in your employer’s shoes when choosing timing. Give appropriate notice. For most positions a two week notice is customary. The only exception to that typical two week notice would be for those leaving C-level positions or those where a longer expectation for separation is spelled out in the employment contract. A hasty departure can be seen as a lack of integrity and it can come back to haunt you. Do not spend your last days on the job complaining. Leave a full account of your projects with a memo of “to dos.” Lastly, Defren recommends that a person stay in touch –really. Consider your soon to be previous boss to be part of an extended professional network. Remember that your last impression can be as important as your first.

Consider the necessary steps to leaving your current job the right way. In addition to offering appropriate notice, for your position and write a formal resignation letter. About Dot Com has a good resource with advice and sample resignation letters. Remember to not say too much and to emphasize the positive as well as your gratitude for the opportunity and how the company benefitted you. Depending on your situation, you can offer to help during the transition caused by your resignation.

BEFORE YOU PUT ANY OF THE RESIGNATION STEPS INTO MOTION make the decision to leave when you are not acting in the grip of emotion and reacting on adrenaline. It can be a smart move to discuss your plans to resign with a close friend, family member or therapist, and/or a colleague if you are certain you can trust him or her completely.

The thing to remember is that sometimes a company will fire an employee and sometimes an employee will fire their employer. If you think it is time to give your employer the boot, involve a recruiter. He or she can offer good advice from years of experience advising people who are transitioning to the next step in their career. The team at Strategic Recruitment Solutions is always ready to assist and guide you to opportunities that will take YOUR career to the next level.

WHEN TO COUNTER OFFER AND WHEN TO RESIGN

– How to handle counter offers

QUITTING YOUR JOB WITH STYLE