The Good, the bad, and the ugly…

1 comment February 22nd, 2008

We’d like to hear from you- what experiences have you had with counter-offers? Have they been successful? Were you happy with the end result? 

 Share your stories!

The negative side of counter-offering

Add comment February 20th, 2008

Don’t play a counter-offer game without being aware that there could be consequences. 

The negatives:

Accepting the counter-offer may only buy time for you to realize the other reasons you were looking to leave. 

Your current employer now knows you have checked out of their organization enough to seek opportunities elsewhere. They may question your loyalty from that point on.

It is not always about money- is a raise going to solve the reason you were considering leaving? 

Take careful consideration before deciding the best thing for your career, fulfillment, and happiness.

To counter-offer or not to counter-offer?

Add comment February 18th, 2008

When an offer is presented to an anxious interviewee, it may fall short of expectations. Some may feel an immediate response to decline an offer or start the counter-offer process.  Before doing that, stop and think: 

What is the main reason the offer fell short? What were your expectations?

Did you communicate your salary history and salary expectations?

Did you accurately understand the salary range on the position before entering into the interviewing process?

Are you hoping to be compensated for something the employer does not want to pay for? (Previous unrelated experience, travel expenses, childcare obligations, etc.)

Make sure you can answer the necessary questions before you go back to a prospective employer asking for something more. Going back responsibly with the facts as to why you are not excited about the offer will most likely end up with better results. 

Walk a mile in your boss’ shoes

Add comment February 15th, 2008

When considering asking for better compensation at work, try putting yourself in your boss’ shoes. Are you making a difference at work by improving procedures and executing tasks that need to be completed in a timely and organized fashion? 

Deciding to give someone a raise depends on several factors. Managers take overall attitude at work, performance of responsibilities, and goals for continuous improvement into consideration.  

There have to be valid reasons for someone to be given more money for their work. If you are thinking about asking for a raise, evaluate your work performance. If you truly believe that you are worth more than your current salary, it should show in your daily tasks.

How much are you worth?

Add comment February 13th, 2008

How does society decide if someone is paid fairly? Are the people who do the hardest labor paid the most money? No, if that were the case, ditch diggers would receive larger salaries. Are the people who make the biggest difference in our community getting paid the most? No, if that were the case, teachers and police officers would be highly compensated.   

I believe an individual’s worth is directly related to how easily they can be replaced. There are many people that can dig ditches, teach, and protect our communities. Professional athletes, movie stars, and musicians are compensated with multi-million dollar annual incomes. Why? Because they have a skill that very few people possess. They are difficult to replace.  

It’s been stated that no individual is overpaid; you are worth what you negotiate.  If you feel you deserve more money, develop a list of things that you contribute to your company and make the case that you would be a very difficult person to replace. You will likely see an impact in your weekly paycheck.