Over the years, recruiters and line managers have asked my advice about handling the counter offer. Hundreds of applicants screened, telephone screens, multiple interviews, background checks, salary negotiation and then the dreaded statement “the have made me a counter offer”. There is no reason to cry in your soup, I can count on one hand the number of counter offers that have ended in a lost candidate. Follow this bulletproof guide and you will be able to confidently manage that counter offer.
Why accepting a counter offer is career suicide
Accepting a counter offer is career suicide and statistically those who accept them are gone within 24 months. Although it feels good when you have two companies who want you, just remember the reasons you were leaving in the first place and why you began job searching in the first place. Your resignation is an inconvenience to your employer, you have betrayed their trust, your boss feels that you have fired him or her and they are probably offering you a counter offer to buy themselves time.
Make sure your resume is Search Optimized
If you haven’t been in job search mode in a few years, you will find a very big change has occurred. Recruitment firms, large and medium businesses have adopted automated systems to manage their applicants. One of the pitfalls of these Applicant Tracking Systems are that there are only 4 parsing technologies in the world and not all of them are created equal. What does this mean to you? You need to ensure that your resume is Search Optimized. These systems search your resume by keyword and it is essential that you incorporate these search words into the body of your resume.
Why you must include a referral system in your talent management strategy
Referrals from existing employees result in lower cost per hire, better morale, and better retention rates. Reach out to current employees and you will find that they want to help, they know people like themselves (birds of a feather flock together) and they sell the company for you.
Have a strategic plan for your family business before you try to sell it.
You have worked hard all of your life building up your business but now it is time to retire and enjoy the good life. If you do not have children who are interested or able to take over the business you will need to sell your business or develop a creative plan that will turn your business into an annuity. The process of selling your business can be difficult. It is essential before you talk to a business broker, or a business valuation company.
