The Truth About Counter Offers
You’ve interviewed for a position with a new company. The company likes you and makes you an offer. You take the time to analyse everything – career development, growth potential, salary, benefits and intangibles – and after some thought, you decide to accept the offer. However, when you attempt to resign from your current company, it doesn’t go as smoothly as you planned. Your boss is upset about losing you and presents you with a counter offer in an attempt to persuade you to stay.
What do you do?
Read on to find out the truth about counter offers and why, in most cases, accepting a counter offer is rarely a good idea.
“Where’s the Restroom?” Syndrome
No doubt about it, change can be scary. Employment changes are journeys into the unknown and often lead to feelings of risk, challenge, adventure and, possibly, fear. It’s natural to have anxiety about leaving a comfortable position “where everyone knows your name”. You’re familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the company, how the office mail system works, what constitutes a lunch “hour” and where the washrooms are.
When considering a counter offer, don’t let familiarity cloud your judgment. Ask yourself whether the new position is a positive step towards advancing your career. Will it be better for you than your current position? If the answer is yes, then proceed with pursuing the position. Familiarity will follow!
Why Companies Make Counter Offers
Some companies never make counter offers and in others, it’s a fairly common practice. Consider what happens when an employee (like you) resigns:
First, morale is likely to suffer, particularly among your closest co-workers. Management will notice, and your resignation may be perceived as an unfavourable reflection on your boss. Your absence could jeopardise the progress of a big project, lead to increased workloads for colleagues who remain behind, and even mess up vacation schedules! Furthermore, it could be expensive (in terms of time, energy and money) to replace you.
A cheaper “solution” for the company is to make you a counter offer. This may consist of a raise, a promotion, change in title or job description, or a combination of these factors. It may even be just a promise of change to come.
Be aware that this “solution” may actually be a stalling technique. By buying you back, the company has bought itself some time, perhaps to finish that big project, reorganise other team members or search for a suitable replacement for you.
What Does a Counter Offer Sound Like?
Because your company wants to attract you to stay, a counter offer will usually come cloaked in flattery. It may sound something like this:
- “But you know we’re right in the middle of a big project! You’re much too valuable to the team to desert us now!”
- “We didn’t want to tell you until next quarter, but we were just about to give you a raise/promotion to show you how much we appreciate your work. Why don’t we make it effective immediately instead of having you wait any longer?”
- “We had no idea you were unhappy with anything here. Let’s discuss this further before you make a rash decision. Whatever it is, we can work it out.”
- “You know we have great plans for you here! But the company you’re going to work for? What can they do for you?”
Understandably, counter offers can be tempting and ego-inflating. You also may detect an underlying threat that by not accepting the counter offer, you’ll be throwing away your entire career, future, life.
Why Counter Offers Don’t Work
It’s true: counter offers very rarely work. There are several reasons for this, but one of the biggest ones is trust. No matter what the company says, you will forever be a “marked” employee. You have demonstrated your lack of loyalty by considering another opportunity. People will feel jilted, even if you accept a counter offer and stay. Trust and acceptance among your immediate colleagues may be irrevocably lost. Managers, too, have long memories, and won’t forget your lapse in loyalty, no matter how brief it may have been.
At the same time, it’s likely that your basic reason(s) for thinking of leaving will eventually resurface. There is a myriad of reasons why you may have considered a change – perhaps something in particular bothered you about your position, or maybe you were presented with an irresistible opportunity. Regardless, changes made as a result of a counter offer may appease you in the short term but rarely last for the long run. Statistics show that if you accept a counter offer, there’s a high chance that you’ll voluntarily leave or be terminated within six months to a year.
Similarly, while it may be true that your current company values your work, your interests and career will always be secondary to that of your boss, and way down on the totem pole compared to the company’s profit or survival. Reconsider the flattery that often makes up a counter offer – is it really about you?
In addition, if your counter offer involves an increase in money, consider the source of the raise. Is this just your next raise, granted early? In that case, will the counter offer simply prolong your review cycle? Remember that all companies have budgets that include strict wage and salary guidelines.
If you’re still unsure whether it’s wise to accept a counter offer, here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
What You Can Do?
Rather than setting yourself up for the feelings of confusion and guilt that may arise when a counter offer is presented, be prepared and know how to turn down a counter offer gracefully. When resigning:
- Avoid any possible misunderstanding by submitting your resignation in writing.
- Focus on the positive opportunity you’ve been offered with your new company. At your resignation meeting, don’t feel pressured into giving reasons for resigning. Simply state that you’ve been presented with an opportunity that you cannot pass up.
- Handle your resignation right the first time you do it. Be professional and courteous, not disgruntled or weak. Offer to help during the transition time, then follow up with your best effort.
Then, after you’ve done all that you can, move forward!
Look ahead to your new opportunity, complete with fresh challenges and all the excitement that goes with the start of any journey. Good luck!
For more counter offer advice or help with the search for your next job opportunity, get in touch with our team today.
Somewhere in the world right now, a hiring manager is asking a question… and three seconds later ChatGPT is answering it.
The AI Authenticity Gap: Why Your AI-Generated CV Might Be Costing You the Job I see hundreds of CVs every week. I spend more time on LinkedIn than I care to admit. And one thing that's becoming increasingly prevalent is the appearance of overly authored posts and descriptions with plenty of words but precious little substance. Much of this has coincided with the widespread adoption of tools like ChatGPT. As someone working adjacent to the tech space, I was genuinely excited when AI started making waves across the world. I thought this was going to be a real game changer, and in many ways, it has been. But the overuse of generic AI-generated content has become so prevalent that I feel some people are now failing to show their authentic voice - the very thing that makes them stand out in a competitive market. The Early Adopter's Reality Check I was one of those people who tried to adapt early to AI, using it to help me in my professional and personal life. But here's the crucial difference: I didn't just accept the standard output I was given. I took the bones and made them my own. I used AI as a tool, not as a ghost-writer. Too often now, I see CVs that have been completely assembled by ChatGPT - so generic, so obviously automated, that I genuinely feel the candidate would have been better off not sending anything at all. These applications don't just blend into the background; they actively work against the candidate by signalling a lack of effort and authenticity. The Numbers Don't Lie Recent research validates what recruiters like myself are seeing daily. A May 2025 survey of 600 U.S. hiring managers revealed some startling statistics: One in five recruiters (19.6%) would outright reject a candidate with an AI-generated resume or cover letter Over a third of hiring managers (33.5%) can spot an AI-generated resume in under 20 seconds 58% of hiring managers express concern about AI-generated applications Think about that for a moment. Hiring managers are detecting AI-written CVs in less time than it takes to read a single paragraph. The very tool candidates think gives them an edge is often the red flag that gets them filtered out. The Efficiency Versus Laziness Debate When ChatGPT first emerged, many of my colleagues said outright that this was going to make people lazy. I argued against that view. I believed that just as Excel made formulating reports easier without making us worse at analysis, ChatGPT would help people be more efficient in their work - freeing them up to focus on strategic thinking and creative problem-solving rather than getting bogged down in formatting and structure. I still believe AI can be a powerful efficiency tool when used correctly. The problem is that many candidates aren't using it to enhance their work; they're using it to replace their work entirely. The Personal Touch in an AI World While improvements are being made to make AI-generated content seem less generic, there's a fundamental issue when you're putting forward something meant to be a representation of yourself. Your CV is your professional story. It's your opportunity to showcase not just what you've done, but who you are, how you think, and what makes you different from the hundreds of other applicants. When you rely on AI to put it all together, you lose all control and that crucial personal touch. The research backs this up: Baby Boomers and Gen X hiring managers are particularly sceptical, with one in four Baby Boomer managers likely to reject fully AI-generated resumes. Even among younger Millennials and Gen Z managers, who you might expect to be more accepting of AI use, there's a clear expectation that the final product must sound human, show real effort, and reflect the individual behind the words. The Right Way to Use AI in Your Job Search By all means, use the tools available to you. AI can be excellent for: Brainstorming bullet points you might have forgotten Identifying gaps in your experience narrative Improving grammar and clarity in your existing writing Suggesting different ways to frame an achievement Creating a first draft structure that you then completely personalise But don't think that because you can do something quickly and easily, you're going to get the same results as someone who actually takes the time to show they've invested effort. The data shows that 74% of hiring managers have encountered AI-generated content in applications, and they're becoming increasingly adept at spotting it. Standing Out in a Tough Market It's a challenging market out there in many sectors of the technology industry. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to ensure you can show exactly who you are. That means: Write in your own voice - Not the corporate-speak that AI defaults to Include specific examples - Generic achievements sound hollow Show your personality - What drives you? What excites you about your work? Customize for each role - AI-generated applications often feel one-size-fits-all Proofread beyond grammar - Does this sound like something you would actually say? The Bottom Line The irony is that in trying to use AI to save time and improve their chances, many candidates are actually undermining themselves. They're creating a sea of sameness in which their application drowns rather than floats to the top. Remember: hiring managers want to hire people, not algorithms. They want to understand your unique perspective, your problem-solving approach, your communication style. They want to see evidence that you've put thought and effort into your application because that's a strong indicator of the thought and effort you'll put into the job itself. Use AI as a tool in your toolkit - but make sure the final product is unmistakably, authentically you. That's what will make you stand out in 2025 and beyond. Need help crafting a CV that showcases your authentic voice while still being competitive in today's market? Get in touch, I'd be happy to provide guidance on how to strike that perfect balance between efficiency and authenticity. Article written by: Jack Davies PRA Brisbane Associate Consultant - Development and Testing M: 0483 969 454 E: jack.davies@pra.com.au
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