Counter offers...

[OceanLottery]

I apologize in advance if this doesn't belong on this board, but here goes.

So, a few weeks ago I applied for a job at another paper, a larger paper, on a whim. Lo and behold, they contacted me, I interviewed three times and got the job.

But after being officially offered the job, I wasn't terribly excited, despite the pay raise and management-type role. I started to re-evaluate where I am at my current gig and slowly the grass on the other side wasn't looking all that green.

Anyway, after really struggling with a decision, I decided to take the offer from the larger paper that is still in my market but would require more time away from home. When I told my current employer of my decision they did something I've never known them to do, which was make a counter offer.

So, how do I present this to the larger paper that's trying to hire me and whose initial offer I've accepted? I'm not trying to hold either paper ransom, but I'm comfortable at my current paper and the money they're willing to put up isn't all that close to what the big boys are offering but combined with the bump in status they're willing to give is making me think I should stay put.

 

[spaceman]

You don't present it to the larger paper. Make a decision and stick to it.

If you're staying, stay. If you're going, go.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

spacer, I'm sorry, but I have to strongly disagree.

Ocean, this is one of the only times you will have control over your situation. You must make the best call for yourself, even if it includes leveraging two competing companies. I don't enjoy it, as a matter of fact I hated every second of it the one time it happened. But, you have to do what's best for yourself, especially when so many media companies right now don't seem to care.

The best advice is can give you though is "Don't **** with happy." A veteran told me this when I was starting out, and it was the smartest bit of intelligentsia I ever received. Never, ever take a job just for the money, unless the money is the most important thing to you.

Good luck.

 

[bydesign77]

this has happened to me a couple of times. No reason not to mention it to the new place. They might up an offer or say, well that's all we got. I doubt they would retract their offer. and even if they did, you have the better one with the place you're at now.

 

[thegrifter]

spacer, I'm sorry, but I have to strongly disagree.

Ocean, this is one of the only times you will have control over your situation. You must make the best call for yourself, even if it includes leveraging two competing companies. I don't enjoy it, as a matter of fact I hated every second of it the one time it happened. But, you have to do what's best for yourself, especially when so many media companies right now don't seem to care.

The best advice is can give you though is "Don't **** with happy." A veteran told me this when I was starting out, and it was the smartest bit of intelligentsia I ever received. Never, ever take a job just for the money, unless the money is the most important thing to you.

Good luck.

I couldn't agree more.
Go where you'll be happy. Surprisingly enough, money doesn't equal happiness. Which sucks.

 

[buckweaver]

BD's right: They won't retract their offer. But they could give you more, so might as well ask for it.

"Don't **** with happy." I love that.

 

[deskslave]

spacer, I'm sorry, but I have to strongly disagree.

Ocean, this is one of the only times you will have control over your situation. You must make the best call for yourself, even if it includes leveraging two competing companies. I don't enjoy it, as a matter of fact I hated every second of it the one time it happened. But, you have to do what's best for yourself, especially when so many media companies right now don't seem to care.

The best advice is can give you though is "Don't **** with happy." A veteran told me this when I was starting out, and it was the smartest bit of intelligentsia I ever received. Never, ever take a job just for the money, unless the money is the most important thing to you.

Good luck.

I couldn't agree more.
Go where you'll be happy. Surprisingly enough, money doesn't equal happiness. Which sucks.

Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things that will make me happy.

But, seriously, these folks are right. Take the counteroffer back to the potential new employer. Either they raise the offer, don't raise it or retract it. If one of the latter two happens, you stay where you are and you're better off than you were before. If the former happens, you restart your consideration of which situation would be best.

 

[slappy4428]

If you aren't sure you want to leave and the place you want to stay is offering you more money, then do what makes you happy...

 

[Stitch]

OP accepted the first offer from new employer. How could you go back and ask for more? If he hadn't accepted the offer yet, I could see taking the offer back.

I bet the first offer gets retracted if he goes back for more.

 

[slappy4428]

OP accepted the first offer from new employer. How could you go back and ask for more? If he hadn't accepted the offer yet, I could see taking the offer back.

I bet the first offer gets retracted if he goes back for more.

But what if he's going back, not to get more money, but out of courtesy? What should he feel trapped when he;'s got an out?

 

[buckweaver]

I bet the first offer gets retracted if he goes back for more.

A common fear, if you don't feel like you have any leverage. Very, very unlikely to actually happen. (And if it does, it's probably not a place you want to work anyway.)

Too much has to go into the green light to make an offer that it's not likely to be retracted unless there's some serious red flags being raised by the potential employee. Coming back with a counter-offer is not a red flag; it's just part of business.

If they offer you a job, you DO have leverage. Don't be scared off by the irrational fear that they'll retract it if you don't submit to their every whim.

 

[21]

So, how do I present this to the larger paper that's trying to hire me and whose initial offer I've accepted? I'm not trying to hold either paper ransom, but I'm comfortable at my current paper and the money they're willing to put up isn't all that close to what the big boys are offering but combined with the bump in status they're willing to give is making me think I should stay put.

Just to be clear....the offer from the big paper is still more than what your current employer is offering? What are you going to say to the big paper, if they're already offering more??

If that's the case, I'm with spaceman on this. Decide. Sounds like your gut is already telling you what to do.

 

[buzzerbeater]

I would say if the offer was accepted, the offer was accepted. You don't go back and ask for more after agreeing to their terms originally.
If you were still talking, then sure, mention the counter offer and see where that gets you.

 

[imjustagirl]

I would say if the offer was accepted, the offer was accepted. You don't go back and ask for more after agreeing to their terms originally.
If you were still talking, then sure, mention the counter offer and see where that gets you.

Ding ding ding. The key is he accepted the offer. You don't accept and THEN negotiate.

 

[slappy4428]

Again. What if he's not trying to negotiate, but just is telling them that they offered more money and he;s turning down their offer??

I can think of one prominent member here that was ready to take the SE job at another paper 500 miles away, and would have, but his gig offered a promotion and raise. He turned down the place he was going to move to.
He;s happy now and wasn't going to whip the new gig into more money, but he's still plagued with "what if" he went.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

"Don't **** with happy."

Advice Nelson Rockefeller would have done well to abide by.

Oh, and the rest of the post is gold too.

 

[Blue_Water]

I don't think you can ask for more from the potential new employer after accepting their offer, but if you want to stay at your current job, just apologize to the new paper and say that your current work situation has changed and you've decided to stay.

 

[proudpittsburgher]

I don't think you can ask for more from the potential new employer after accepting their offer, but if you want to stay at your current job, just apologize to the new paper and say that your current work situation has changed and you've decided to stay.

Agreed. I had to do that after getting a job offer in a much larger market. I'd say it was all about happiness, but that'd be a lie, it was about the money. I accepted the offer, told my current employer, and they matched the offer. I truly had no intentions of having that happen, I really was putting in my notice, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Unless your job really sucks, it is much less of a hassel to stay where you are at for a big pay increase. I really dreaded the phone call I had to make renigging on an offer I had already accepted, but like I said, you gotta do what you gotta do. That being said, I would not call to renegotiate. I would, as someone else mentioned, make a decision and stick with it. That's just me, however, and there really is no right or wrong answer on this one. But if you are worried about pissing someone off, a friend of mine gave me pretty good advice. Look, it's a 30 second phone call that really sucks to make, but you will feel 1000 times better when it is done. Rip that band-aid off and move on.

 

[awriter]

BD's right: They won't retract their offer. But they could give you more, so might as well ask for it.

"Don't **** with happy." I love that.

Even if they retract the offer, who cares? You still have a decent job.

 

[imjustagirl]

slappy, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I read your "What if he's going back out of courtesy" after someone asked about going back for more money and I thought you were suggesting re-negotiating for something else.

That's the thing. Either you take the new job, or you turn down the new job and tell them why. But you can't go back to them with a "Hey, my old paper offered this and I was wondering how badly you want me" kind of thing. Doesn't work that way.