Counteroffers can solve a short-term problem. They can also change the relationship in ways that nobody quite names out loud.
For firms, if someone has run a full process elsewhere and come back with an offer, something has already shifted. Trust has been tested. Priorities are now explicit. If you are going to counter, do not treat it as a quick fix. Talk honestly about what created the flight risk in the first place. Was it workload? Compensation? Lack of a clear path forward? Put concrete changes on the table and be specific about what will look different in 30 days, 6 months, or a year. Otherwise you are buying time, not retention.
For candidates, a counteroffer can feel validating. Sometimes it is a sign that someone finally heard you. But be honest with yourself about why you were leaving and what would actually need to change for you to stay. Money helps, but it rarely fixes a broken experience by itself. It is also worth knowing that accepting a counter can change how you are perceived when staffing gets tight, bonuses are allocated, or leadership changes.
Staying can sometimes be the right choice. Just make sure you are staying for a version of the job that is actually going to change, not simply a bigger number attached to the same situation.
Amy McCormack
Founder and Co-President