Should I Stay or Should I Go?: How to Respond to A Counter Offer
In 2025, counter offers remain a familiar part of the recruitment landscape, sometimes more than candidates expect. As recruiters, we regularly meet job seekers who explore new opportunities even though they are not fully determined to leave their current role. These candidates are statistically more likely to withdraw at the last minute, often because their current employer reacts quickly with a counter offer.
A counter offer can feel flattering. It can feel safe. But in most cases, it does not solve the real reasons behind the desire for change. And the data hasn’t changed much: across Europe, a significant majority of employees who accept a counter offer end up leaving the company within 6 to 12 months.
So how should candidates — and employers — approach counter offers today?
Why companies still make counter offers
When an employee resigns, the employer may respond with a counter offer. This pressure has not disappeared; it has simply evolved. In today’s European market, companies use counter offers for several reasons:
Retention costs less than replacement. Hiring, onboarding and training a new employee remains expensive and time-consuming, especially in competitive markets (tech, multilingual service, sales, finance).
Losing talent affects team morale. Replacing someone often disrupts the team and slows down performance.
Knowledge loss is a real risk. Many companies still rely on employees who hold key operational know-how.
Employer branding matters. Losing talent, especially to competitors, can damage internal and external reputation.
In short: counter offers remain a management reflex, even when they are not part of a long-term strategy.
If you receive a counter offer, what should you do?
It’s normal for employers to respond to a resignation with an improved proposal. But before accepting anything, candidates should pause and analyse the situation objectively.
In many cases, counter offers happen because:
The employer has underestimated the market value of the employee.
Career conversations were insufficient or inconsistent.
Salary adjustments were overdue.
The organisation reacts out of urgency, not out of vision.
A counter offer that truly addresses your needs can be positive. But this is the exception, not the rule.
Here are the key questions candidates should consider:
Does this offer genuinely solve the reasons why you wanted to leave?
Do you trust the employer to follow through on the new promises?
Is the corporate culture aligned with your long-term expectations?
Will staying help you reach your personal and professional goals?
Are you accepting out of comfort rather than progression?
Reasons why accepting a counter offer might seem attractive
Even in 2025, the most common reasons remain:
1.Higher salary or better benefits
Salary adjustments are the number-one motivation behind counter-offer acceptance. It may finally reflect your true value, and it can create momentum for future negotiations.
2.Job security and convenience
Staying requires less effort than starting a new job. You already know the tools, processes, people and expectations. There is no onboarding stress.
Reasons why you should NOT accept a counter offer today
1. The original problems rarely disappear
If you wanted to leave because of leadership, culture, workload, recognition, or career stagnation, a higher salary won’t fix any of that. In most cases, things remain the same and sometimes return even worse once the situation “cools down”.
2. It may impact trust and your internal reputation
When you resign, you reveal your level of dissatisfaction. Even if your employer keeps you, some leaders or coworkers may question your loyalty.
3. A counter offer can be a temporary solution for the employer
Sometimes, the employer simply needs time to organise a replacement. A counter offer can delay, not prevent, your eventual departure.
4. It might limit future salary negotiations
Accepting a counter offer can send the message that compensation is your main driver, which can tighten future negotiation margins.
5. You may be blocking your own progression
By staying, you might miss an opportunity that offered better growth, culture, stability, or long-term fit.
How to make the right decision
Think long term, not short term
If your only reason to leave was financial, a counter offer may be worth considering. If the reasons were structural, cultural or developmental, the counter offer will not solve them.
Compare both offers objectively
Which option supports your career trajectory? Where will you grow faster? Which organisation aligns better with your values and lifestyle?
Consider the message you send
Returning after resigning is possible, but it does leave a mark.
How to communicate your decision
Whether you accept or decline, keep it professional:
If you accept:
Clarify the new conditions in writing (salary, responsibilities, timelines).
Align expectations clearly with your manager.
Ask for a career roadmap if growth was an issue.
If you decline:
Thank your employer for the counter offer.
Explain respectfully that you have chosen to pursue a new opportunity.
Leave on positive, mature terms.
Choosing your future
Today, counter offers are still part of the talent landscape, but they are no longer as effective as companies hope. Employees change jobs not only for money, but for culture, purpose, learning, flexibility and international opportunities.
A counter offer can be an opportunity. But it can also be a delay.
Choose based on who you want to become, not based on what feels easiest today.
