Did you get a counteroffer when quitting? What did you do?

[ls99]

When I handed in my very terse retirement notice, it was not conducive to any negotiations.

[Ronstar]

After I gave 6 months notice, I agreed to work 2 days a week for a year in exchange for the company buying my company stock. The year is up April 1. They have asked me to extend my 2 day a week arrangement. I said no, but I expect a counteroffer within the next few months. I really don't see what they can offer to keep me working at this point.

[Newventurer]

When I gave notice in June that I was retiring and relocating, I was hopeful that there would be some sort of offer to work remotely but was prepared for no offer. My boss gave me the option of working on a reduced portfolio basis remotely for 6 months. It has been a great transition. He has hinted that he may be able to use me for contract projects after the first of the year, if I am interested...I am.

My situation may be a little different as I was changing lanes (moving to a place I wanted) vs. intentional retirement. Either way, I was planning on continuing work of some sort, even if part time.

[Dawg52]

I was only asked if I needed any help in cleaning out my desk. Actually I gave a several month notice because my situation was a little different. I was a business partner with a fair chunk of stock so some planning was needed as to who would purchase my shares. I probably over did it on my announcement as it was gobbled up fairly quick. But it worked out well for me.

But to answer your question, no I didn't have to deal with a counter offer. Some were probably glad I was leaving as it gave them a chance to acquire more ownership.

[MRG]

I should add all of Megacorps manager training said, 'absolutely no counter offers'. The rational was if a person was looking, they will continue to.

That said I managed to get multiple folks salary adjustments, the reason 'this person has an offer pending and I don't want to lose them because(insert whatever skill they have here)'. Seems odd now.
MRG

[mystang52]

I gave 2 weeks' notice. Then I offered to work 2 days/month to run/collate financial reports that was part of my full time duties.
My boss accepted....and asked if I would consider working two days per week. Bottom line - it ended up being a great deal. I work 2 non-consecutive days per week from home, it is very easy and non-stressful and quite frankly extremely easy money.
If they are amenable, I'll do it at least thru 2014.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 I will be prepared for the walk to the door thing. When I give notice it will be with a bare cubicle.

That's smart. I had already saved all my important work files to DVD, made hard copies of other info that I felt entitled to access (not company proprietary stuff) should I work again somewhere and took almost all the personal items of any value to me home before I notified my boss (in another state) of my intention. Worked out OK, but wanted to be prepared just in case...

[Chuckanut]

Brewer12345, whatever happens I hope we will continue to benefit from your thoughts.

[Sarah in SC]

All I have to offer is that I wish that I could be there when you pull the trigger to take you out for a beer to celebrate! It is so amazing that you are really doing it! So, so jealous...

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut Brewer12345, whatever happens I hope we will continue to benefit from your thoughts.

Its a lot harder than that to shut me up.

[RunningBum]

I used the unspoken threat of leaving once to be able to telecommute. A second time I was unhappy with an uninteresting new project I was put on with poor resources to learn it, and told my boss I was ready to leave. They offered me part time and sticking to the work I'd been doing before, which I was happy to accept since I was only marginally FI. The last time they gave me other options but none of them were really incentive to stay and I think that was by design. I don't think they could've kept me but I knew they wouldn't try so I didn't really think about whether anything could keep me there.

I think if you're ready to go, nothing will keep you. If you're not, the right offer could keep you. Don't turn it down or accept it right away. If you go home and feel like you struck gold, take it. For me that second time it was a feeling that it worked out perfectly, and it did for a few more years for me. If it doesn't work out, you can always later give notice again and tell them sorry, this time it's for real. Even if it's two months later, what's the problem? If they get mad, you can tell them they should've just let you go the first time.

[Sue J]

Early in DHs career he got a job offer that looked very good and decided to take it. He went to his boss and gave a months notice. His boss didn't want to lose him so his boss got upper management to let him make a counter offer, of a little more than what DH would have gotten at the new job.

We mulled it over and he decided to stay where he was with a nice increase. The funny thing was that his increase in pay put him over his direct supervisor and others in his department with more experience. The result was that they all got increases. He stayed a few more years after that.

He wasn't anywhere close to retiring. That would have been a very different situation.

[Moemg]

The first time I retired I was offered a one day a week very flexible job . I took it . It did grow to two days a week but still very flexible . It also helped me solidify my decision to retire so a year later I retired . They offered me a few great options but I was ready . They continued to offer me great options for a year until they realized I was really done .

[6miths]

I'll be giving my notice at the end of this month. There will be a counter offer or two, mainly more flexibility but possibly more money too. I'll politely decline. I think that the post above that said that once you are ready to go, there isn't much that can keep you. It's been golden handcuffs for awhile for me and I feel overdue to move on.

[Bigal50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever There is another alternative that is a possibility whenever anyone gives notice--being walked to the door with a box of your personal things. Good idea to cull them before giving notice.

That was the history at MegaCorp. I gave my boss 2 months notice on the QT. To be nice to him. It was a mistake because my work was all transferred to other people, and I had nothing to do.

I gave HR official notice at 2 weeks. I had my office cleaned out just in case the wanted to walk me to the door. It was fine. I spent the last 2 weeks saying good bye. Didn't even come in the last day. Just sent out a mass email on the way out the door. Mostly because I hate the triteness of goodbyes.

[scrabbler1]

Like RunningBum, I once used the threat to leave as leverage to get a part-time, mostly telecommute (and, sadly, temporarily) deal. Another time, my boss found out I was interviewing elsewhere and offered me a 10% raise to stay (this was in the 1980s when raises were big). He did not know, however, that I had just received a 10% raise to take the offer I had just received, which meant that if I stayed or if I left I'd be getting a 10% raise (not bad, huh?).

But when I ERed 5 years ago, I did not get any counteroffers to stay. I gave one month's notice but remember that I was working only 2 days a week so it was actually 9 days plus the rest of the day after I had given my notice. Furthermore, in my exit interview, I told the HR flunkie that I would not have accepted my old telecommute deal because I was so sick and tired of the commute that I would have needed to come to the office even less often than once a week. I would have also wanted to regain eligibility in the company's group health insurance program if I worked less than 20 hours a week, another requirement which was a non-starter.

On my last day, I had already rejected a farewell luncheon but there was a brief gathering at my desk. I left the office quietly and had to remember to turn in my ID badge to the building's security desk before I began the final commute home.

[sunnysideup]

My situation was unexpected. I took a new job/new company this year, expecting to stay only 1-2 years and retire. Then an abrupt change in family situations forced me to look at relocating, and I decided I was ready to just retire. So I told my new boss (of only 3 months) that I may need to quit soon (no specific date), and he told me to hold off and consider telecommuting. Telecommuting has always been a dream for me but now I was getting the offer at a point in my life when I am not sure I even wanted it!!!!

So I think that was a great offer, and as of today I don't have to make a decision for 6 months, but I still may retire at that point. And of course, nothing is static--now it appears my boss may be promoted to a new job/different department internally and therefore who knows if the telecommuting will still be available with a different boss...

I think every situation is different. You need to follow your gut and look out for your happiness....

[tryan]

Closest thing I had to a "counter offer" was a VP stopping me in the hall and asking "Why don't you come work for me?". In hind site that gig would have lasted only a year or 2. The President was bent on moving the entire company out of MA - to DC. The building was sold ... the company's only remaining MA employees are on 1 floor in rented space ... their days are numbered.

[Danmar]

My retirement was originally negotiated about 2 years in advance. Not totally of my choosing but a very good deal for me. It was extended twice. The second time included 4 days a week for same pay for an extra year. This resulted in a long pre-retirement period which caused some motivational issues but in the overall scheme of things is water under the bridge now, except my net worth is higher than it would have been.

[LoneAspen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koogie Happened to me a couple of times in my younger years. I always viewed it as the ultimate insult. Offering me more money because I am quitting only means that you've been taking advantage of me the whole time I worked there and were underpaying me. YMMV.

That's my take on counteroffers, too.

I made myself a promise early in my career, and I've never broken it...as an employee I will never accept a counteroffer, and as a manager I would never extend one. I don't believe a counteroffer fixes the reason a person is looking.

People might say they're looking for more money, but I think in most cases it's because they weren't recognized, nor rewarded, in a timely fashion. A counteroffer doesn't change that. If you have to threaten to walk out the door to get more money, a counteroffer doesn't fix that kind of corporate culture and treatment.

So, I would never accept a counter when changing jobs.

As far as retiring for good, it would take what I call "crazy-stupid" money to get me to stay, meaning the company would have to be crazy and stupid to offer it, and I'd be crazy and stupid for turning it down. For example, I make in the low six figures. For me to even consider staying after I've decided to retire, they'd have to offer me about a million dollars (after taxes, also) just to stay on another six months. And no, I'm not joking. Which makes such a scenario impossible, because I'm not that valuable to the company.

Another poster commended about the "bare cube" and I fully agree with that, also. It's always been very easy for me to pack up and leave an office because I never decorate my cube with personal belongings. No pictures, no toys, no books, nothing. I've always been able to turn in my laptop and badge and walk out, and I like it that way.

I also plan on only giving two weeks. I'm just a peon, and my leaving with only two weeks notice would in no way impact the company. And if I'm retiring (as is my hope after this job) I don't care about future referrals anyway. While I won't burn bridges, I don't particularly care about pissing anybody off, either.

I've not made any friends at the place I'm at (don't want any, to be honest - I prefer to make friends with people outside my work environment) and never expect to work with, or deal with, these people ever again once I walk out the door. Once I quit and walk out, I'm done, and will never look back.