What Are Some Good Ways to Turn Down a Counteroffer? (VIDEO)

[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-1bXEhZ8kA[/svp]
In this video, I describe a scenario that someone faces where they need to turn down a counteroffer… And it is very painful.

counteroffer

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Someone wrote to me about how to best turn down a counteroffer and I am compelled to give you some texture to this so that you can understand the dilemma this person has.

The person is happy in their current job, but they were recruited by a foreign firm that offer them a salary double what they are currently earning.

Wow!

But we don’t know if this is a $40,000 a year person who has been offered $80,000, a $100,000 a year person who has been offered $200,000… We have no sense of the numbers.

They really like the job and found it very interesting, they love the money and gave notice. At this point, the persons manager does their version of, “But why? We love you! Don’t go! We need you! Don’t do anything yet. I’m going to talk to my boss.

His boss is the owner of the firm and comes back to the job hunter (as I am recording this, it is November) and says to the job hunter, “we are going to be able to pay you much more (but not as much money as the other offers for).”

In the position with the foreign firm, the person can work from home, and double the money.

It is an interesting choice for the person but after some weighing alternatives, he or she has decided to turn down the counteroffer. What are some good ways to do this?

I want to address one detail head on. If this is the owner of the firm, what is going to change between now in November and December other than the fact that the other offer has been turned down. That will allow them to increase it then and not today? <Sniff> <Sniff>

I smell something unpleasant here but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.

You made a decision that you want to leave. Great. How do you turn down the counteroffer gracefully?

You sit down with your manager, you look them square in the ally and you say, “You know, I really spent a lot of time thinking about it and I decided that I am going to take the other offer and go.

Because you are responsive to the counteroffer, they may try to take another run at you to try to persuade you to stay.

Wait! Don’t do anything yet! I’m going to bring in the owner. He or she is going to make a different!

You know, create a big drama to try to stop you.

So if and when this trauma occurs with the president of the firm, all I want you to calmly say is, “Look, I’ve no complaints about this firm. You guys have been great to me but this is my time to go. And if I discover that I made a mistake,.I will have weighed the alternatives and I will learn something from it.

They may turn around and try to exert pressure on you. Thus I want to remind you that you need to speak with a very calm tone, sounding like you are reflecting. “This is been a hard decision to make and I hear you. Please respect my choice.

I’m giving 2 weeks notice. I’m sure you can find someone to do the job within 2 weeks. Just go out there and try; after all, there are people out there looking for work. I’m sure someone is qualified to do the job.

Just maintain your calm and, if for some reason, they get under your skin, PLEASE do not react. Do not be reactive and lashing out.

Try to maintain your cool and simply say, “Again, we are going around in a circle here. I have made up my mind. Please respect my choice.

Stand up. Shake their hands and leave.

 

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Do you really think employers are trying to help you?

You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell you as much as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

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