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Resigning without wanting to discuss counter offer

eten

Hello Everyone,

I have found a new job that not only pays substantially more, but it will be more of Tier 3 support role in combination with projects implementation. No more graveyard shifts, ticket cutting and device monitoring.

I have no intentions of staying with my current employer even if they match the salary. I do not want to waste their time (and mine) in exploring the possibility of a counter offer. Would it be straight up and rude if I'm honest about it?

A bit of background - I've been with my employer for a bit over a year at MSP (my first networking job). Without my current job, I would never have been able to land a semi engineering job and I'm very grateful for the amount of resources the company had invested into me.

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Comments

nel

I would be careful with how you would say that. If asked, Just say something like the new role offers great career potential and projects to be involved with. You have loved working in your current role, it gave you your opportunity and you will always appreciate that. Thank you for the chance etc etc.

Remember, Always leave on good terms mate.

ChooseLife

+1 to nel, express your sincere grattitude and tell them you want to take the next step in your career. They will understand. If not, it's their choice to be unprofessional - you've done your part.

JustFred

I agree with Nel,

IT is sometimes such a small world that you'd never know who you are going to run into or whom your next boss is going to be in the near future.

Try not to burn any bridges on your way out. or as the saying goes, the people you meet below while climbing the ladder are the same people you are going to face when you come crushing down

eten

Agreed and understood. Burning bridges is the last thing I would want to do.

I probably should have clarified my question. Being a small company, if HR replies with "let me speak with the president to see if we can match your offer, or something more competitive with additional responsibilities", should I just go with the flow, see the offer and make it *seem* I'm considering even though my final answer would be "No."? How do you guys tackle counter offers?

JustFred

Never entertain counter offers, when reorganization comes around you 'd be the first to be torpedo for being not trustworthy.

kgb

In the past, I've flat out said, "You won't be able to match it." Thinking back, what I should've said was, "I've already committed to the new organization so unfortunately I am not in a position to entertain a counter-offer." I think that would've been more politically correct than what I actually said.

cyberguypr

In your resignation letter make sure you clearly state your intention to move on and not entertain counter offers. Something like "this is a final and irrevocable decision Ive made based on blah blah." That way if they can read and have some decency, they will not even try to counter. At my previous company even though I used a similar line they countered. I wanted to smash their heads against the wall so bad but decided it was not worth it.

networker050184

Just put in your resignation and don't mention it. If they ask you would you be willing accept a counter offer then just politely decline.

petedude

I'll second Networker. Your basic message should be a polite "thanks, but no thanks".

the_Grinch

At my last job, I put in my month notice and when asked if there was anything they could do to change my mind I simply said no due to the educational benefits. So as others said wait for them to ask and then politely say no.

eten

Thank you for the awesome advice.

Nemowolf

the_Grinch wrote: »

At my last job, I put in my month notice and when asked if there was anything they could do to change my mind I simply said no due to the educational benefits. So as others said wait for them to ask and then politely say no.

Left my last position with much the same question. When i spoke with my manager there was the initial shock and then she asked if there was anything that would make me reconsider. I sincerely said something to the effect that I didn't think they could counter with something that would make me miss an opportunity like the transition i made.

jmritenour

If you don't give them specifics about your new offer, they can't counter it. I say hand in your resignation, and deflect any questions about the new job, and steer the conversation toward a transition plan. That makes it pretty clear that you're not interested in countering, without being a jerk about it.

Akaricloud

I would personally just give your normal resignation note and if they do talk to you about a potential counter offer politely decline.

The last time this happened to me I just said thanks but no thanks, politely explained my choice for resigning was about career advancement and I wouldn't want to be overpaid for the position I currently held.

DPG

I never understood the counter-offer after an employee gives notice. In my eyes, the notice is telling me that you have already made the decision to leave the company.

Nemowolf

DPG wrote: »

I never understood the counter-offer after an employee gives notice. In my eyes, the notice is telling me that you have already made the decision to leave the company.

For a time, this was used as a play to get your boss to take action on outstanding requests for promotions and raises. If they wont listen to you then you look elsewhere and when you leave them in a pinch, you force them to react and give you want you want or they lose you to a better offer anyways. I know that my previous employer would have gladly considered a significant raise and potentially sending me to school on their dime but they didnt have the budget for what i wanted to make to stay with them nor the position to move me too. Scare/threat tactics like this lead to a distrust that you will hold this over their head and doesnt often lead to a long term successful employment.

BradleyHU

networker050184 wrote: »

just put in your resignation and don't mention it. If they ask you would you be willing accept a counter offer then just politely decline.

^^^
this!!!!

pert

DPG wrote: »

I never understood the counter-offer after an employee gives notice. In my eyes, the notice is telling me that you have already made the decision to leave the company.

Its common in companies that are run by HR. I.E. The jobs where your boss can put you in for a promotion or raise and then get turned down by HR. In those cases it does make sense. If you're boss didn't give you the promotion/raise because he didn't want to its a different story. I understand where people are coming from with don't entertain counter offers, but its not that cut and dry. If you can't be easily replaced, the company is very secure, and you're leaving solely for economic reasons then I actually would consider them.

About7Narwhal

I am with pert on this one. Sometimes your boss isn't in a position to give you the promotion or pay raise you deserve. But when you say you are leaving, he/she has a little more to work with when selling the case.

That said, your boss now knows you are looking to jump ship. Even if that feeling to jump goes away, he/she might always question your loyalty. I generally decline any offers because it is rarely about the money alone when I decide to move. That said, if they put the right stuff on the table, there is nothing wrong with considering it.

f0rgiv3n

networker050184 wrote: »

Just put in your resignation and don't mention it. If they ask you would you be willing accept a counter offer then just politely decline.

I'm adding a fourth agreement to networker's advice. Keep it simple and clean.

broke_it_guy

If you're good at your job and people like you, they will probably counter offer. However, I've only accepted a counter offer once and I ended up leaving 6 months later for a different offer, anyway. You don't need to make a big deal out of it, just politely explain that you've already made a commitment to company B. My next door neighbor accepted a counter offer including a 20% pay increase and was fired within a few months. Ultimately, she won the unemployment hearing and the hearing officer agreed she was unfairly terminated, but it still caused a lot of problems for their family and she ended up at the second position anyway. All in all, I'd probably never consider a counter offer but I'd be extremely polite yet to the point in declining the offer.

eten

My resignation went really well. They were very understandable and wish the best for me. Now I only have the exit interview left.

Very eager to start my new job to see what their network looks like.

Thank you everyone for your responses