It’s an exciting moment: You’ve been offered a new job with a new company and it’s time to have a big conversation with your manager or supervisor. Unexpectedly — or maybe predictably, depending on your position — you receive a counteroffer to stay where you are. 

It might be tempting — more money, better hours, more vacation, any number of things! — especially if you’re more or less content with your current job. However, there are certain risks to consider before making a decision. 

Here are things to think about when entertaining a counteroffer. 

• Your manager knows you’ve been looking around. Even if you’ve been the most loyal, dedicated employee for years, the offer of a new job outside the company is a big red flag for managers. It means you’re willing to up and leave the company, possibly shorthanded, which would put them in a bit of a lurch (this is especially true if the company is already down some employees due to illness, retirement, turnover, etc.). If you accept a counteroffer and agree to stay, it could result in a shift in trust and lead people to question your real commitment to your position and the job. 

• If you’re unhappy, will anything really change? More than half of people who receive a counteroffer and stay in their current job still leave within six months to a year, according to at least one study. The problems you have today, the ones that had you looking for a change of position, will still be there, plus you’ll have the added wonder of whether the new job might have been a better fit. 

• It could change your relationship with your colleagues. We all know people talk. Even if you don’t tell anyone but your supervisor about the job offer you were ready to accept, word will get out that you were considering leaving. That might create a tense work environment, especially if you’re on a small team or in a tight-knit group. They might question whether you’re really invested in your work anymore, whether you might up and leave, and whether you might not do your job to the full extent anymore. Plus, if they learn about the counteroffer and your decision to stay, it could make them question whether they deserved the bump in pay more than you. 

• Will it hold you back in the long run? What does the counteroffer entail? Does it include new responsibilities or a new title and, if so, does it help you reach your career goals, or is it all smoke and mirrors? Worse, does it create a situation where you’re working your current job AND adding new responsibilities, effectively paying you once to work two jobs? If staying where you are will pad your bank account but not advance your career, it might not be worth it. 
• Beware what might come down the road. If you accept a counteroffer to stay with a company, and then there’s an unexpected financial hiccup, you might be the first one out the door. After all, your supervisor knows you were considering leaving anyway, so why not cut your position first? It could also happen that someone else leaves your team, and now that you’re getting paid more, your supervisor decides to put the extra work on your to-do list without any kind of discussion. You did agree to stay for more money, right? This could quickly become a slippery slope where you’re looking over your shoulder and bracing for a big change to make you wish you had left. 

If you can get, in writing, that a counteroffer will lead to real improvement in your current situation, and you feel like it’s really the best thing for you to do, it’s worth considering. But be warned: It might not be all it’s made out to be.

Weigh your options carefully before making a move. Either way, it’s time for a change! If you’d like to consider other options altogether, take a look at the jobs we’re currently working to fill at Able Associates. Our recruiters are experts at matching talented candidates with positions that meet their interests and their career goals — we can help you do both! When you’re ready for your next move, contact Able Associates, and let’s see how we can work together.