Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Over the years we’ve seen candidates who were driven to seek new opportunities for many reasons and typically money isn’t the top driver.  Yet frequently they’ve expressed the temptation to accept a counter offer for more money in the end.  Fortunately for most, they kept in mind what compelled them to want to make a move in the first place and were able to resist.  In our experience, of the candidates who did accept counter offers, many of them only ended up leaving those positions within months anyway.  Sure we hear that counter offers are only a way for companies to stall and buy time to find a replacement (maybe), and that your loyalty is in question once you tender your resignation and then accept more money and you’ll be the first to go in a downturn (um, okay).  And If you were worth more money why weren’t you being paid that much in the first place (right)?  If/when you receive a counter offer just stop and think about what even prompted you to look elsewhere.  Will that change?   If you’re leaving for better advancement potential what’s going to change for you here?  If you’re leaving because you’re not challenged will that change?  Will your relationship with your boss and or co-workers improve?  These are the questions to ask prior to accepting that counter offer.