Offer letter

Elle · September 2004

Hello all. I am just curious on what everyone's opinions are on this topic. I have a friend who was offered a position for $15K more per year then what he is currently making. When he attempted to give his notice, his HR Manager was upset and called the executives of the company and they decided to match that offer in order to retain him, but his HRM said that there is nothing she can do about that offer unless he provides proof of an offer letter within the 2 days.

He is willing to stay at his current employer and has subtly asked for an offer letter from the potential new employer but hasn't received anything.

Is that standard practice for a counter offer? If his HRM doesn't receive the offer letter, then he doesn't get the new offer? I think that is a little extreme, afterall, he did attempt to give a notice and odds are an ee doesn't leave their current er unless they have found another job.

Thus far, I haven't had to counter offer but if I did have to, would it be standard practice to request an offer letter and give a time frame in order to provide proof?

LarryC · September 2004

Elle, you will probably want more input than I'm going to give you, because I don't believe in counter offers. Feeling that way, I would advise your friend to inform his current employer that there will be no offer letter because his decision to move is final and irreversable. And then I would advise your friend to follow through and take the new job. Damage has been done at the "old" job and his security there would not be what it once was. If not, he may eventually find himself out of BOTH jobs.

Elle · September 2004

Thank you for your post. From what I have gathered, they understand why he felt the need to move on and are willing to correct the problem. He would like to stay with his current er if they are willing to follow through on the changes in his position as they discussed, including the $$$.

I don't think that it would be very fair to have his security threatened when the company understood why he seeked employment elsewhere and has decided to rectify the situation.

Jewel · September 2004

Usually it's not money that makes a person want to move on and matching the offer usually doesn't work out for either party because there are other underlying issues.

Statistics show that EE's will usually leave within 6 months if the company comes back with a counter offer.

Just tell your friend to be careful.

Jewel

Rockie · September 2004

Generally, it's safer to wait until you have an offer letter from a company before you put in your notice to your present company.

I would wonder why it took an employee securing another position for the current employer to jump in and match the offer. I also would be extremely careful in calling a prospective employer of someone who has offered the employee a position.

If you do or say anything that causes the company to rescind the offer, you may be liable.

Personally, if I was at the point where I wanted to move on and had accepted a position with another company, I'd honor that committment instead of accepting a counter offer. I agree with the poster who stated it's rarely about the money.

dchr9203 · September 2004

In this case, your company did not move until he turned in his formal notice, therefore, in my opinion it is inappropriate for them to ask for "proof" of his new salary. If they genuinely want to keep him and he geniunely wants to stay, they they should make a fair counter offer based on the market salary data available regardless of his offer. As a matter of fact, I personally would find it insulting to know they jumped at meeting the offer. I say you want me to stay bad enough step up and beat the offer, even if only by a few thousand or so. Otherwise, I've made my decision, turned in my notice, and either put up or shut up, I don't have to prove anything. Because basically, they're sending the message they don't trust he's telling the truth.

dbutton111 · September 2004

My experience has been that once you decide to leave it's best to leave. I was the recipient of a counter offer and did like the current company. So I told the prospective employer no thanks and stayed. It was very different after that. Any time I pushed back I was told "we paid you to stay, you're now ours" not in so many words, but they made it known that they had "bought me off". Ruined a good place to work for me.

Don D · September 2004

You asked if this were standard practice in countering an offer. No it is not. I have never heard of asking an employee for proof of his offer. I agree with all the advice given. (1) the employee should accept the earlier offer, ask for it in writing and move on and wish the old company well, (2) Never give notice until you have an offer in writing, (3) There is no (3).

LeeR · September 2004

I agree with Don and everyone else here. On a personal note if an employer is not willing to pay me what I'm worth until I have searched for and found another position its to late to mend that fence. I'm outta there.

Offer letter

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