TTD Insight 11
Counter Offers: Should You Make One?
By Emma Grace, Founder, The Talent Division
Welcome to The Talent Division Insights, practical recruitment advice from Emma Grace, Founder of The Talent Division. Drawing on nearly 30 years in recruitment, each Insight shares honest observations and practical guidance to help businesses attract, hire and retain exceptional people.
One of the most common questions clients ask me is:
"Should we make a counter offer?"
The honest answer?
Sometimes, but not always.
The important question isn't whether you can persuade someone to stay.
It's whether you've addressed the reason they wanted to leave in the first place.
Understand why they're leaving
Very few people resign because of salary alone. It might be career progression.
Recognition.
Leadership.
Flexibility.
Work-life balance.
Culture.
If none of those things change, a pay rise is often only a temporary solution.
Counter offers don't always rebuild trust
Once someone has handed in their notice, both sides have usually started imagining life without each other.
That doesn't mean the relationship can't recover, but it does mean an honest conversation is needed.
If someone stays purely because they've been offered more money, it's worth asking whether the underlying issues still exist.
Don't make it purely about salary
A thoughtful counter offer might include:
- A clear development plan
- Increased responsibility
- Flexible working
- Additional benefits
- A revised career pathway
Sometimes those things are worth far more than another few thousand pounds.
If they still choose to leave...
Accept it professionally.
People leave businesses for many different reasons.
The way you handle that resignation says just as much about your culture as the way you welcome someone new.
Former employees often become future clients, customers or even return to your business later in their career.
Emma's Thought
"I've seen people accept counter offers and go on to build long, successful careers. I've also seen people leave a few months later because nothing really changed. The best counter offers don't simply increase someone's salary, they give them a reason to stay."