Resigning With Grace And Avoiding Counter Offer Trap

By |2019-10-17T03:43:27-05:00September 26th, 2019|Career Articles|

How to Effectively Resign from your Position


However, going back on your decision to resign after you have announced it to your employer could turn out to be a self-defeating career move, according to various general, IT, and engineering headhunters in Philadelphia. 

Nearly eight out of 10 employees who reverse their decision to resign while accepting a counter offer will end up quitting their job in the next 6 to 8 months. The problem is that the original reasons for the resignation have not changed. 


Think through Your Decision and Prepare Well

Think and re-think your decision to resign very carefully before you let anyone in your company know what is on your mind. 

But once you have made up your mind, recruiters in Philadelphia suggest it is best to be thoroughly prepared and have a professionally written resignation letter in hand when you break the news to your boss. 

The resignation letter should specify a final date when you propose to leave the organization. This will signify that you are fully committed to your resignation decision, and you are not fishing for a counter offer


Maintain Grace and Professionalism

From the moment you hand over the resignation letter until you refuse a counter offer, make a conscious effort to maintain total grace and professionalism in your conduct. Burning bridges with your company will not help in the long run. 

If your superiors try to persuade you to change your mind, politely inform that you have already given it a lot of thought and have made this choice with a full sense of responsibility. 

Do not succumb to any provocation, and make sure your parting with the company happens on a positive note. (And don’t forget references from ex-employers may be needed in future.) 


Do not Vacillate or be Indecisive

If your mind is not firm about resigning and you make a half-baked announcement, chances are you will flip flop between leaving and staying. This will show you in poor light. If you get caught in the counter offer trap, it may turn out to be more disadvantageous to your career than if you would have actually left the job. 

For instance, once you accept the counter offer, your employer as well as your co-workers may no longer see you as a loyal or dependable employee. 

Some employers may harbor a feeling of resentment because you virtually forced them to come up with a counter offer against their will. They may also feel it is unfair to other employees in a similar position. All this could make your position in the company untenable sooner than later. 


How to Create the ‘Just Right’ Resignation Letter

Resignation letters do not have an ideal or perfect model, but staffing agencies in Philadelphia recommend candidates to keep the letter short and polite. 

Stay true to yourself, but keep the reasons of your resignation as concise as you can in order to avoid conflict. Save the criticisms, if any, for your exit interview, which might be conducted by a trained HR specialist. 


About the Author: